


In which Gabriel tries to woo a Moose

by Redqueenswrath



Series: Songs 'verse [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abuse of Angel Powers, Anal Sex, Baby Angels, Castiel Is So Done, Come Sharing, Dean is protective, Dom/sub Undertones, Drinking, Drunk Angels, I was drunk when I wrote chapter 17, I'm unkilling characters at random because I'm tired of having my heart shattered by this show, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Oblivious Sam, Oil Gland Kink, Rating May Change, Rimming, Slow Build, Surprise Loki!, The Author Regrets Nothing, Threesome - M/M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wing Kink, author still regrets nothing, cockblocking brothers, dubcon but only if you squint at it really hard, gabriel is pining, holy shit I got fanart!, more fluff than you can shake a stick at, sam is terrified of relationships, they'll get there in the end I promise, this is turning into kink bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-06-02 21:17:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 55,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6582763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redqueenswrath/pseuds/Redqueenswrath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their first kiss at Dean and Castiel's wedding, Gabriel is eager to move forward. Sam is terrified of relationships. Dean is torn between being protective and wanting Sam to be happy. Castiel is so done with his brother's antics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Again I Go Unnoticed

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was originally going to leave Shut Up and Dance as a standalone, but a plot bunny bit me on the arse and thus this was started. I don't really know where it's going yet, but these two are just too cute for me to leave them alone for long!

Watching Dean and Castiel together truly was the worst form of torture ever devised, Gabriel decided with a mental huff. The newlywed couple were practically joined at the hip, floating around the bunker as if nobody else existed. It would have been absolutely adorable if Gabriel wasn’t struggling with the desire to have the same type of relationship with the younger Winchester brother. The couple was currently sprawled out on the couch, watching reruns of Game of Thrones. Cas’ head was resting in Dean’s lap, and the human was slowly petting the angel’s hair with a blissfully content look on his face. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. It’s enough to make a cupid gag….” The Archangel thought snidely. He couldn’t fault the couple, though. After having danced around each other for years, they had finally gotten their act together and were enjoying their newfound relationship to the fullest. 

Gabriel was trying to be happy for them. He really, truly was. But he was one more lovestruck sigh away from replacing someone’s shampoo with Nair. Dean chose that moment to lean down and kiss the top of his angel’s hair, and Gabriel had had enough. With an angry growl, he jumped to his feet and stormed out of the room, too frustrated and wound up to even bother snapping himself somewhere else. Neither of the men on the couch even noticed him leaving.

He stalked down the hallway, grumbling under his breath about lovestruck baby brothers and idiotic hunters, straight to his own little hideaway. After he had been invited to stay in the bunker with the rest of “Team Free Will”, he had taken up residence in one of the rooms far away from the rest. When Sam had questioned his choice (and damn him for breaking out the Puppy Eyes), Gabe had brushed it off as not wanting to be a nuisance to the rest of the group. 

But in all honesty, he had grown accustomed to solitude in the thousands of years since he had fled heaven, snapped up bedpartners notwithstanding. They couldn’t even really be counted, to be honest. They weren’t real people, just fantasies temporarily made flesh. None of them had a personality, or were capable of making their own choices. It was glorified masturbation. 

As he kicked in the door of his room, Gabriel briefly considered snapping up one of the aforementioned bedwarmers, but quickly discarded the idea. In the weeks after his first kiss with Sam, such distractions had quickly lost their appeal. He desperately craved the real Sam, and the only time he’d created a facsimile had left him beyond uninterested. He had finally banished the creation, utterly disgusted with himself.

Gabriel flopped onto his bed face first, groaning into the pillow. He had it seriously bad for the six-foot plus moose. After the dance and kiss at the wedding, Gabriel had hoped that they would FINALLY be getting somewhere instead of tap-dancing around each other, getting close enough to flirt and throw innuendos around before one (or both) of them panicked and drew back. He groaned again.

“Same song, different verse….a little bit louder, a little bit worse….” he grumbled, pulling his hair in frustration. He snapped up a candy bar to munch on, despite not actually being in the mood for sugar (and wasn’t THAT a sign of the apocalypse?) He was getting desperate. Every attempt he had made to move things forward with Sam had either gone unnoticed or fallen flat.

Gabriel had made a point of trying to woo the younger hunter. He’d made Sam’s favorite foods for breakfast, fussed over the slightest injury received during a hunt, replaced Sam’s cruddy stolen motel room soaps with the best he could locate, even helped him organize the massive amount of spell materials in the bunker’s mammoth storeroom. All of his efforts had gone straight over Sam’s head. Gabriel chewed on the chocolate, but it tasted like chalk in his mouth. He lobbed it across the room with a frustrated snarl. 

What in the name of Dad did he have to do to get Sam’s attention?


	2. Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was vaguely inspired by Tegan and Sara's "Closer". Give it a listen!

Two days later, Gabriel was still at a loss. He’d gotten up early and ensconced himself in the kitchen, making pancakes for their ragtag little family. Dean was the first to stumble in, lured by the scent. The hunter arched an eyebrow at the mess the Archangel had made. The stove had a cast iron skillet on each burner, and four different types of pancakes were cooking away merrily. Fruit in various forms littered the counter, batter was splattered on every horizontal surface (Dean even noticed some on the ceiling), and Gabriel had flour smudged across his face. Before Dean could comment, Gabe plopped a stack of chocolate chip pancakes in front of him.

“What’s the occasion?” The hunter asked. “You never actually COOK unless it’s something important.”

Gabriel huffed a little. “I just felt like making pancakes, Dean-o. I got bored.” Dean rolled his eyes, but before he could make another comment, Castiel shuffled into the room in a pair of ratty sweatpants and Dean’s AC/DC shirt. The angel made a beeline for the coffee pot, making noises that vaguely resembled a zombie when it refused to brew any faster.

Dean immediately hopped up and guided the bleary angel to a chair. “Cas, park it before you fall down. I’ll bring you coffee when it’s finished.” He kissed Castiel’s bedhead mop while the angel continued to glare at the coffee pot in a vaguely smite-y way. 

Gabe chuckled. Despite being back to full power, Castiel seemed more human than ever since his bonding with Dean. He slept (truly slept, not the light meditative trance that he used to drop into while his human snored away), he had picked up many of Dean and Sam’s mannerisms, and he was utterly impossible to be around before his first cup of coffee. The archangel took pity on his baby brother and snapped a cup of coffee into existence, plunking it down in front of the glowering Seraph, who proceeded to gulp it down like a dying man in the desert.

Sam trotted into the kitchen, t-shirt drenched with sweat from his morning run. He glanced at the surly angel and quickly decided not to make a comment about the visible bruising on his neck. Dean greeted his brother with a waved fork and carried on stuffing pancakes into his mouth at an alarming rate. The younger Winchester made a move to join them, but Gabe smacked him with the spatula “OH no you don’t, Samoose. Go shower.” Sam stuck his tongue out at the Archangel, snatching a strawberry on his way out. Dean finally set his fork down.

“So, seriously. What gives with the gourmet breakfast?” Gabriel gave a noncommittal grunt. “Whatever, dude. Just make sure you clean up before Samantha has a fit.” Gabe flipped him off before snapping his fingers, leaving the kitchen literally sparkling clean. Castiel hissed at the added glare, startling a laugh out of Dean. 

Sam came back into the kitchen, hair still damp. “Cas, it’s just caffeine. Chill out.” The scowling angel refused to even dignify that with a response. “Sammy, don’t bother. You know how Cas is first thing in the morning.” Castiel leveled his glare at Dean.

Sam slipped past Gabe, brushing against him as he reached for the blueberry pancakes he knew were his. The angel froze at the brief contact. Thankfully, Sam didn’t seem to notice as he toted his plate back to the table and tucking in with the same gusto that Dean had. The Archangel dropped a plateful of plain pancakes in front of his little brother, who seized the plastic bear full of honey on the table and proceeded to drown his breakfast in it. Sam looked vaguely nauseated, and even Gabriel had to privately admit that there might just be such a thing as TOO MUCH honey. Castiel dug into his honey puddle, ignoring them all. 

“So what’s the plan for the day? Sammy? Any new leads?” They hadn’t had a hunt in nearly a week and Dean was getting restless. Sam looked up from his food, still carefully not watching Castiel. “Actually, I think I found something this morning. Might be nothing, but there’s been a few reports of ghost sightings at the Stanley Hotel.”

Gabriel cocked his head to one side in a distinctly ‘Castiel’ gesture. “Stanley…. As in Stephen King? The Shining? ‘Heeeeeere’s Johnny’?” Sam nodded. “Several people have snagged pretty clear full apparition photos in the last few weeks. It might be a scam to drum up tourism, but I think it’s worth checking out.” Dean thumped the table.

“Alright! Let’s load up!” Sam cut him off. “Actually, I was thinking that just you and Cas could go. I’m in the middle of organizing some of the archive artifacts, and it looks like nothing more than a residual haunting, no need for us all to go out to Colorado. If you need backup, Gabe can snap us over.” Dean scowled a little. 

“What, YOU passing up a chance to get your nerd on? Who are you and what have you done with Sam?” He pulled out a silver knife mock-threateningly. 

“Ok, I’m getting sick of you and Cas being up each other’s asses 24/7 and want a break. So sue me. I can only take my badass big brother turning into a doe-eyed lovesick puppy for so long.” Dean lobbed a strawberry Sam’s forehead. “Shut up, bitch”. “Screw you, jerk!”

Castiel cleared his throat. “Sam, I assure you that Dean and I are not ‘up each other’s asses 24/7’. Such a thing would be impossible due to Dean’s need for sustenance.” He deadpanned from over his third mug of coffee. Dean went beat red and Sam flailed, trying to cover his ears. “Goddammit Cas, I don’t need to hear about your sex life with my BROTHER!” He mimed gagging. 

Gabriel watched the whole scene without really paying any attention. He was completely lost in thought. Even with Dean driving, it was almost a 7 hour drive to the hotel in question. Even if they left right now, the pair would likely be gone at least 24 hours, maybe even longer. This might be the perfect opportunity to ramp up his persuit of Sam. With their brothers out of the way, he would be free to make some more overt attempts He just had to come up with a plan…..


	3. Let Me Show You the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel gets some sage advice from a rather unexpected source and plots a first date.

Gabriel cornered his brother-in-law in the garage where he was loading the trunk of the Impala. Dean slammed the trunk shut “Gabe, stop looming like some sort of vulture. What's going on? You've been twitchy for days.”

Gabriel huffed a sigh. “As much as it pains me, I need some advice.” he grumbled. Dean spun around to face him, a laugh dying in his throat when he saw the Archangel’s dejected expression. “Dude, what's eating you? Is this about Sammy?” 

Gabriel’s head snapped up. “Is it THAT obvious?” “Gabe, you've been moping around for weeks. I can't even remember the last time you pulled a prank on somebody.” The human paused, taking in Gabriel’s utterly defeated appearance. “Look, I'm going to suspend the ‘no chick flick moments’ rule for a minute. What the hell is going on? I thought you two were finally getting somewhere.”

Gabe rubbed the back of his neck. “So did I. But then he started ignoring everything I do to get his attention.” 

“Gabriel, you DO realize what a track record Sam has, right? Everyone he's gotten involved with since Stanford has either turned out to be a demon, a monster, or has died bloody. He’s probably terrified.” Gabe hung his head.

“What do I do, then? I'm literally immortal, nothing can kill me permanently, and although I'm a total asshole sometimes, I'm not EVIL.” 

Dean scrubbed his hands across his face. “I cannot believe I'm giving you advice on how to seduce my baby brother.” He visibly cringed at the thought. “Look, go slowly. Take him places. Go on sappy dates. The kid has always wanted to see Rome. Take him there. Go to the beach, buy him ice cream and visit some tourist trap amusement park. Shit like that.” Gabe grinned. Sappy. He could do that. 

“And this should go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyways. I don't know if he's ever been with a guy before and I frankly don't want to know. But if you hurt him, I WILL fry your ass in holy oil. Capiche?” 

Gabe nodded, for once in his long life being utterly serious.

“Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to go scrub this conversation from my brain with a bottle of whiskey.” Dean stomped out of the room. 

As he watched Dean and Cas vanish into the distance, Gabriel contemplated his next move. He didn't want to just pounce on his mooseman and zap him off to points unknown. Neither of the Winchester brothers responded well to unannounced trips via Angel Air, and the last thing he wanted to do was annoy Sam. Instead he headed back into the bunker, intent on asking his moose on a real date. 

He was utterly unsurprised to find Sam in the library with his nose stuck in a book. He was so absorbed in whatever he was reading that he didn’t notice Gabriel until the angel sat on the table directly in front of him. Sam jumped hard enough that he smashed his knee into the table and went off on a blue streak.

“Aww Sam-a-lam, that must have hurt. Here.” Gabe pressed a finger to the rapidly growing bruise and it vanished.

“Gabriel, I swear I’m going to put a bell on you!” “Ooooh, can I have a collar to go with it?” The shorter man winked lasciviously. Sam just rolled his eyes. “You can turn ANYTHING into an innuendo, can’t you?” 

“I’ve had millennia of practice, Samsquatch. Now, are you doing anything vitally important right this instant?” Sam shook his head, flipping the book up so Gabriel could see the title. Gabe laughed. “Sam, haven’t you finished The Goblet of Fire about six times over by now?” 

“Yeah, but it’s one of my favorites!” Sam marked his place and closed the book, leaning back to look at the Archangel. “What’s up, Gabe?” 

“Sammy, I’d like to take you somewhere tonight. It’s too quiet around here without the newlyweds.” Sam scoffed. “What, you’re already tired of listening to them desecrate every room in the bunker? Which reminds me, is there anything you can do to soundproof the place?”

“I’ll see what I can do. Now, about that trip. Do you trust me?” Sam arched an eyebrow, but nodded. “Great! Close your eyes, ok? I don’t want to ruin the surprise!” The human obediently shut his eyes. Gabriel grabbed his hand and stretched his wings, launching himself into the void with Sam safely in tow. 

The journey took less time than the space between one heartbeat and the next. As they touched down, Gabriel reached to steady the human. Sam quickly got his feet under him, eyes still clamped shut. “Can I look yet?” Gabe chuckled. “Impatient, Sam-I-Am? Hang on just a second, ok? I promise it’ll be worth it.” The angel carefully turned Sam around, reaching up to slip his hands over the human’s eyes. Frustrated by the height difference, he summoned a little bit of grace to boost himself up a bit higher. He leaned in close, pressing up against Sam’s back to whisper in his ear, “You ready for this?” Sam nodded, trying desperately to clamp down on the full-body shudder that went through him.

Gabe lifted his fingers and Sam gasped at the view in front of him. It was the Colosseum, lit up against the setting sun. “GABE! Are we really in Rome?” He asked disbelievingly. “Sammy, after everything you’ve seen me do, you’re questioning my ability to teleport you to the other side of the little ol’ planet? Phenomenal Cosmic Power, remember?” 

Sam wrapped a rather bemused Archangel in his arms and spun him around. Gabriel laughed. “So, I done good?” Sam nodded, grinning like a kid on Christmas. “Thank you so much! This is amazing!” 

“Um, Sam? Could you….you know, put me down?” Sam blinked, only then seeming to notice that he was still holding the all-powerful being like some sort of smite-y teddy bear. The young Winchester instantly set the Archangel back on his feet.

“Now, what do you say I give you the grand tour of Rome?” Gabriel asked, straightening his jacket in an attempt to regain some dignity. The effect was utterly ruined by the wild grin he was sporting from Sam’s unexpected exuberance. “Where do we start?” Gabe spun in a circle with his arm outstretched, picking a direction at random. “Thattaway!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I thrive on comments and kudos! Like it? Hate it? Want to salt and burn it? Drop me a line!


	4. Must be Doin' Something Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel plays tour guide, Sam gets a bit drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If y'all haven't picked up on it yet, the chapter titles are the song I was listening to when I was writing the chapter. I won't necessarily use lyrics in the dialogue, but it served as the inspiration.

Gabriel spent most of the evening leading Sam all over the city, watching indulgently as Sam utterly geeked out over everything in sight. From the statues and fountains to the locals, and even to the very stone roads they walked on, the younger Winchester brother was completely fascinated by everything around him. He spent a good half hour just at the Trevi fountain, trying to memorize every aspect of the incredibly detailed marble horses and the sculpture of the god Neptune. He had of course read all about it, but there was a world of difference between seeing it on paper and seeing it in real life, being able to trail his fingers through the water. Meanwhile, Gabriel stealthily took picture after picture of Sam’s explorations and almost childlike delight. Being able to pause time to get choice shots really came in handy, sometimes.

Even Sam’s growling stomach couldn’t distract him. Gabriel knew that Sam would have happily continued exploring until he passed out from low blood sugar and it was with that in mind that the angel eventually herded Sam towards a small outdoor diner.

The restaurant itself was nothing remarkable, almost lost in the sea of similar stone buildings, but it was the patio that had drawn the Archangel’s attention. It was littered with wrought iron tables and chairs, each draped with a crisp white table cloth. Each table had several thin tapered beeswax candles clustered in the center. The low stone wall surrounding the patio was almost entirely overgrown by creeping vines, as was the white lattice roof that served as a sun shade. It made for a very private, intimate setting for what was, in Gabriel’s mind, rapidly turning into their first date.

He nudged Sam into a chair, waved over a waiter in black slacks and a starched white button down shirt and ordered for them both in flawless Italian. Sam caught every fifth word or so… something about artichokes? Gabriel also inquired about the restaurant's wine selection. Sam shrugged, electing to just trust Gabriel to order something edible that wasn’t overwrought with sugar. The waiter left them with two glasses of white wine and made his way to the kitchen.

“So, Samoose….whatcha think so far?” Gabriel asked after taking a sip of the wine. The Archangel hummed in approval, briefly entertaining the thought of telling Sam the vintage, if only to watch the human lose his shit over the fact that it was a Dal Forno, and nearly $150 a bottle. However, that damned Winchester martyr complex would probably kick in and cause Sam to protest the expense, ruining all the fun.

Sam was still grinning from ear to ear. “It’s amazing! I can’t thank you enough, Gabe. Really. I’ve been wanting to come here since I was a little kid. I never thought I’d get the chance since Dean hates flying and Dad would only ever leave the States if it was for hunting Azazel.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Hold onto your hat, kiddo. I’ve got a whole world of stuff I want to show you, places I want to take you. This is just the start.” He started humming under his breath. Sam glared at him.

“Seriously, Gabe? ‘A Whole New World’? Do I look like a Disney princess to you?” Gabriel snapped his fingers and a bejeweled tiara appeared on Sam’s head.

“Hey, if the crown fits, wear it!” The human shot him a filthy look, and Gabriel made the tiara vanish in a puff of smoke.

Sam sipped his wine and leaned forward a bit, watching Gabriel intently. “Where else would we be going?” He asked, hazel eyes imploring. 

Gabriel shushed him with an indulgent grin. “Patience, young grasshopper. You’ll find out as we go. But I promise, you’re going to love everything!” In reality, Gabriel was still scrambling to figure out what to do next. He didn’t want to push too hard and scare the guy. Their food arrived before Sam could try to pry more details out of him. 

Gabriel took the opportunity afforded by Sam’s distraction to plan his next move. He briefly thought about warping reality a bit to trigger a meteor shower for them to watch, but quickly decided that it might just remind Sam of watching the whole “angels getting kicked from Heaven” debacle. That was the last thing he wanted. But that idea triggered another one, and Gabriel internally patted himself on the back over his new plan. 

They lapsed into companionable silence as they ate. Sam was torn between swiveling his head around to try to take in everything at once--Gabriel privately thought he resembled a bobblehead--and stealing glances at the Archangel, which said angel pretended not to notice, for fear of embarrassing his moose.

The waiter was very good about keeping their wine glasses topped up as they ate and Gabriel made a mental note to leave a considerable tip. By the time they were done eating, Sam had developed a little bit of a flush from the alcohol, and he seemed more giggly than usual. Gabriel almost wished that he could get tipsy so easily, but it would take more wine than the entire restaurant had in stock to have any noticeable effect on him. Besides, somebody had to be the Designated Flyer and seeing as he was the only one with wings, it fell to him to remain decently sober. 

The Archangel pushed his chair back and stood, dropping a wad of bills onto the table as he stretched. A quick glance at Sam revealed that the human was staring at the stripe of skin revealed by his shirt riding up. Gabriel pretended not to notice, although his inner self was doing a serious happy dance. He held his hand out to Sam, not entirely expecting Sam to take the offered appendage, but was promptly surprised when the man took it.

“Where to now, Samshine? Ready to head home or do you want to stay here? We can always come back another day.” Sam’s eyelids were drooping a bit.

“I think I’d like to come back. I want to bring my camera next time!” Inner-Gabriel again cheered at the stroke of brilliance that he’d had when he took pictures today. Even if they came back, he’d never be able to recapture that initial look of awe. 

“Sounds good, kiddo. Let’s get you home and tucked into bed.” Sam pouted a bit at being treated like a little kid but didn’t comment. Gabriel pulled the human close and took off for the bunker. 

Sam stumbled on the landing and Gabriel had to support him while he regained control of his ridiculously long legs. A low groan from the human made Gabriel glance up in concern. Sam was looking decidedly green around the gills. “Sam? You ok up there? No puking on the Archangel, please.” Sam shook his head as if to clear it. 

“Yeah, just no more alcohol and Angel Airways. Fuck, that was weird feeling.”

Gabriel chuckled ruefully. “Sorry about that, I’ll keep it in mind for the future. Come on, you’ll feel better once you get comfy.” He led the much taller man down into the bunker, making a quick pitstop at the kitchen for a glass of water. Thankfully, Sam seemed to improve quickly and was quite capable of getting them to his own room. Once at the door, he paused.

“Gabe? Thanks for today. I… I really enjoyed myself. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.” 

“Any time, kiddo. I’ve got so much more to show you!”

“So…. was this a date?” Sam asked, grinning mischievously, his eyes dancing. 

Gabriel froze, trying to choose his next words very carefully. The wrong reply could break the spell they were under, blowing away the easy companionship they’d shared like so much smoke.

“If it was, what would you say?” The Archangel finally asked, looking at a spot on the door behind Sam like it was the most interesting thing he’d seen in ages. 

Sam smirked, his hazel eyes going dark. “I’d say that I think you deserve a good night kiss.” He cupped Gabriel’s chin and tilted it up, pressing their lips together in a brief, chaste kiss. “Good night, Gabriel.” he murmured against the angel’s lips, and before Gabriel could get his brain to reboot, the human had vanished into his room, closing the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, they're finally getting somewhere! As always, comments and kudos are amazing. I'm also taking suggestions for song inspiration.


	5. Where We Left Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel's admittedly questionable patience wears out, and we all go on an unscheduled feels-trip!

Gabriel bounded out of his room the next morning, eagerly anticipating a good morning kiss from Sam. However, he was sorely disappointed to discover that without the help of good old-fashioned liquid courage, the human seemed to have reverted right back to the shy behavior of the past few weeks. In fact, he seemed even  _ more  _ hesitant than before! It was enough to make the Archangel pull his hair in frustration. But rather than vent his annoyance at his ragtag little flock, he flashed himself off to find a place to calm down.

 

He did his best to breathe slowly and control his racing thoughts. Centuries of pretending to be a Pagan God had taught him to keep a tight reign on his emotions. Archangels, as a rule, were creatures of extremes. They were capable of going from placid to leveling entire cities in moments. He knew far too well what havoc he could wreak if he lost his temper.

 

Despite his best attempts, his thoughts kept circling back around to Sam and his frustration with the young man’s refusal to move forward. Gabriel mentally cursed the stubborn streak inherent to the Winchester bloodline. Instead of calming down, the Archangel continued to get wound tighter and tighter by his frustration and anger at how hopeless he felt.

 

Several hours passed before his solitude was interrupted by the flutter of wings. “Hello, Castiel.” He grumbled, recognizing the sound of his baby brother’s midnight black wings. “To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?”

 

Castiel glanced around in confusion. “Gabriel, why in the name of our Father are you sitting in a lawn chair on top of Mount Everest?” The older angel leveled the younger one with his best  _ ‘are you fucking kidding me?’ _ look.

 

“Working on my sun tan.” He snarked. Castiel cocked his head to one side. “I find that hard to believe. What is bothering you?” Gabriel could physically feel his vessel’s blood pressure rising.

 

“Abso-fucking-lutely nothing, Castiel. Go home. I’m sure your mate is pining for you.” Castiel’s expression morphed from  _ Confused Angel of the Lord _ to  _ Sam Winchester’s Patented Bitchface #36 _ in the span of a half second. 

 

“As Dean would put it, ‘stow your shit’, Gabriel. You are very obviously upset about something, and Sam and Dean are becoming increasingly worried about you. You vanished this morning without a single word to anyone. I could not stand listening to their concerns any longer and decided to come find you. My mate can handle being without my company for a little while. Yours, on the other hand…” Castiel trailed off at the utterly murderous look the Archangel shot him.

 

“Sam is not my mate, Castiel! As much as I want it, as much as he occupies my every waking thought, he isn't my mate! He doesn't want me!” 

 

Castiel snorted. “Then he is an utter fool. Even Dean finally opened his eyes and agreed to bond with me. Perhaps he fears that you will abandon him the way you once abandoned Heaven.”

Gabriel lept to his feet, advancing on the smaller angel, who seemed to shrink inwards on himself even further when faced with Gabriel’s rage.

 

“You fucking  _ dare _ throw that in my face?! You arrogant, pompous little rat! I should smite you here and now!” His eyes glowed blue with the barely restrained threat. Castiel flinched, utterly floored by Gabriel’s reaction.

 

“Gabriel, I didn't mean...” The raven haired angel held his hands up in a placating gesture, but the furious Archangel continued to advance on him, rage seething from every pore.

 

“Just because you’re newly mated does not mean you get to be judge and jury on my relationships, you self-righteous little  _ fledgeling _ !” They were very nearly nose to nose now, Gabriel continuing to rant at his baby brother. The sandy haired Angel drew himself up to his full height, seeming to tower over Castiel despite being several inches shorter. 

 

“Gabriel,  _ please _ !” Castiel finally yelled, his wings dropping into a submissive position in a desperate attempt to appease the furious Archangel. Gabriel paused, startled by the gesture. Suddenly all the fight seemed to go out of him, and he hung his head in shame.

 

“I’m sorry, Cas. I ...” He stared at his shoes, utterly disgusted with his outburst. Castiel closed the distance between them and wrapped Gabriel in a hug, wings and all. Gabriel buried his face against his little brother’s shoulder, shaking with frustration. How long they stood there like that, he couldn’t have said. Finally, he stepped back, swiping at his eyes with his sleeve. Castiel wisely didn’t comment on it.

 

“Gabriel, please. Tell me what’s wrong. I have not seen you like this since….well, since before you left Heaven.” Gabriel visibly flinched at the memory. Castiel had been barely more than a hatchling at the time, but he had undeniably been Gabriel’s favorite. Every time the fighting between Lucifer and Michael had gotten to be overwhelming, the youngest Archangel had sought out a hiding place on the very outskirts of the Garden. It was there that he had stumbled across a very young angel, lost and separated from his caretaker. The tiny angel had been curled up in a ball on a bench, sobbing quietly with his fluffy little fledgling wings wrapped tightly around himself. 

 

_ “Hey there, little one. Are you lost?” Gabriel asked. The youngster nodded miserably. Gabriel sat down beside him and wrapped one golden wing around the fledgling’s much smaller frame in an attempt to comfort him. Instantly, said fledgling had clambered into the Archangel’s lap and buried his face against Gabriel’s cream colored tunic, blubbering uncontrollably. Gabriel cuddled him close and stroked his back as he slowly calmed down and stopped crying. Finally, a pair of shining blue eyes peered up at him from the cocoon of black and gold feathers.  _

 

_ “Who’re you?” The little fluffball asked, just a little suspicious. Gabriel snapped his fingers, summoning a bright red lollipop and presenting it to the little boy. “I’m Gabriel.” He said softly. The fledgling almost dropped his sugary treat in shock. _

 

_ “The Archangel?” Gabriel sighed. “So they tell me. What’s your name, little one?” The tiny angel just stared at him in awe. “Look, if you don’t tell me I’m going to have to make up a name for you. You probably won’t like it, either.” He tried to joke, but the pint sized angel in his lap refused to smile. _

 

_ “Castiel. My name is Castiel.” He murmured, almost pouting.  _

 

_ “Hey, that’s a good name! So, Cassie, how did you end up all the way out here?” Gabriel replied, smiling warmly.  _

 

_ Castiel pouted even harder. “Not ‘Cassie’. Castiel. Cas-tee-elle.” He pronounced slowly, as if speaking to an idiot. Gabriel chuckled at the stern expression on the youngster’s face. This little fledgeling had no fear talking to an Archangel like that and while any of Gabriel’s fellow Archangels may have reprimanded the fledgling for doing so, Gabriel could only chuckle, finding the act endearing.  _ Maybe he’ll manage to take Michael and the rest down a few pegs when he’s older,  _ Gabriel thought with a smirk.  _

 

_ “Whatever you say, Cassie. Now, who’s your caretaker?” Whoever it was, Gabriel had serious plans of tearing them a new one for letting such a young angel out of their sight. He was barely out of the egg, for Dad’s sake! Those little scraps of black down he called wings would no more help him fly than they would turn him into a fish. _

 

_ Just then, a rather harried looking Seraph with reddish brown hair appeared. “Castiel! How many times must I tell you not to wander off?” She scolded.  _

 

_ Castiel fixed her with a mulish expression. “I didn’t wander off. I was looking at the bees in the garden and you left me!”  _

 

_ “Lying is a sin, Castiel.” She said, reaching for the little angel.  _

 

_ He burrowed further into his new friend’s arms. “I’m not lying! You always leave me behind, just because I’m little and I can’t fly yet!” He spat at her.  _

 

_ The older Seraph’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Castiel. Come here  _ right now _. And you….” She started to turn her anger towards Gabriel before realizing who she was snarling at. She immediately reversed course, her voice becoming sickeningly sweet. “I’m so sorry, Gabriel. I didn’t realize it was you. Thank you for finding Castiel. I am sorry he bothered you. He is a wayward little thing. I will try to train him better.” Gabriel felt a sick feeling settle into his stomach at her tone.  _

 

_ “Naomi, isn’t it? He was no trouble at all. Do not punish him for being fascinated by our Father’s creations. We were created to love them, after all.” His tone was pleasantly conversational belying the hard set to his mouth. “Cassie, I have to be getting back now. I’ll check in on you soon, ok? There are some lovely parts of the Garden that I would like to show you.” The implied threat flew right over the fledgling’s head, but Naomi’s false smile told Gabriel that she’d gotten the message loud and clear: the little Angel of Thursday was under Gabriel’s protection. Castiel fixed him with an adoring smile and hugged him tight before finally slipping out of his lap and returning to Naomi. She gripped his hand (and Gabriel was not pleased by how his little friend winced when she squeezed too hard) and the pair vanished. _

 

_ Gabriel made good on his word, checking in on the fledgling frequently. He took him for walks in the Garden, introduced him to Joshua, the keeper of the Garden, brought him treats, and spent much time grooming the adorable little puffs that the youngling called wings. His older brothers noticed the attention that he lavished on the little angel. Lucifer openly mocked him, but Michael seemed pleased by it. _

 

_ “We should always care for and protect our brothers and sisters, Gabriel. If we do not have our family, then what  _ do _ we have?” The older Archangel told him. Gabriel noted the sad expression in his eyes with concern. Less than a century later, Michael would look at Lucifer with the same expression as Lucifer screamed at them, denouncing their Father’s commandment to love the humans on Earth more than they did Him. Gabriel could stand it no longer. He fled Heaven to escape the impending battle. It was only once he reached Earth that he realized that he had forgotten to say goodbye to his little fledgling, who was rapidly growing into a fine Seraph. He just hoped that Castiel could forgive him. _

 

Gabriel was drawn out of his reverie by the very same Seraph stroking his hand along Gabriel’s uppermost left wing. “Cassie, I never got to tell you that I’m sorry for how I left. I just got fed up with the fighting. If I had stopped to think, I would have taken you with me.” Castiel squeezed his feathers gently.

 

“I forgave you a very long time ago. I am ashamed to admit that I spent quite a while hating you, but it was not your fault. Naiomi… She worked to turn me against you from the moment you left. She told me that you had abandoned me, that you no longer cared for me. I should not have listened to her.” Gabriel smiled sadly and wrapped the Seraph in his arms, burying his nose in the black mop as he had done countless times in the past. 

 

“Gabriel, what  _ is  _ going on between you and Samuel?” 

 

Gabriel still couldn't quite meet Castiel’s eyes. “I keep trying and trying, but it’s like for every two steps forward we take at least one back.” 

 

Castiel chuckled quietly at that. “Dean was the same way. I believe that it stems from their father’s treatment of them as children. John Winchester routinely mocked his sons for forming emotional attachments, possibly out of his own pain at losing their mother. He will come around eventually.” 

 

“Damn John Winchester and his A+ parenting,” Gabriel with a huffed laugh.  

 

Castiel cocked his head in that confused manner again.

 

“I do not understand that reference.” 

 

Gabriel outright cackled then. “Oh, Cassie. Please never change. Come on, let’s go home.” 

 

Once back at the bunker, Castiel immediately joined Dean on the couch. Sam was nowhere to be seen, but shooting a questioning look at the older Winchester produced a finger pointed at the hallway leading to the library. Gabriel nodded his thanks and set off determined to make things right with his Moose.

 

He found Sam in his favorite chair, nose once again buried in a Harry Potter book. He was considerably farther along in it, which told Gabriel that the young man had been hiding in here for the majority of the day. He cleared his throat to announce his presence, only stepping closer when Sam marked his place and looked up.

 

“Hey, Sam.” 

 

Sam’s cheeks went just a touch pink. “Hi, Gabe.” The Archangel shuffled his feet a little, suddenly nervous in the face of the impending conversation the two of them needed to have a  _ while _ ago. Sam sighed heavily at the sight of it. “I’m sorry I was acting all weird this morning. I didn’t mean to run you off. Where did you go?” 

 

Gabriel’s smile was small, a barely noticeable twitching of his lips. “I just needed some time to think. You didn’t run me off, I promise. I’m a lot harder to get rid of than that.”

 

Sam chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. Thank you again for last night. I really enjoyed everything.” Gabriel perked up a bit at that.

 

“Everything?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively putting on the mask of the lascivious trickster he’d worn for centuries like a security blanket. 

 

Sam barked a laugh. “Yes, everything. I’m sorry I keep freaking out. I’m just....” He paused, not sure what to say.

 

“You’re worried that I’m going to break your heart and leave you, one way or another?” Sam winced, hearing the truth out loud seemingly striking a nerve. Gabriel stepped right into the human’s personal space, tilting the young man’s chin up to force him to meet his eyes, the prank-mongering Pagan trickster god the hunter had met all those years ago falling away like dispersed smoke leaving the serious Archangel in its wake. “Samuel Winchester, I am literally one of the  _ only  _ beings in the cosmos that can say this and be truly honest about it. You  _ can’t _ get rid of me. I’m immortal. Even an Archangel blade to the chest only took me out temporarily, remember? I won’t leave, I won’t try to turn you darkside, and I won’t get my dumb ass killed permanently. If you’ll have me, I’m here for good.”

 

Sam sucked in a breath, stunned. Gabriel had hit the nail on the head for all of his concerns and insecurities. The angel let go of his chin, stepping back a bit. 

 

“I don’t mind taking things slowly. I swear I don’t. But please, don’t try to hold back because you’re afraid of losing me. Please, just give me a chance.” Sam exhaled heavily and stood up, closing the distance between them again. He reached out slowly, tentatively, as if he was afraid that the man in front of him would vanish. When Gabriel didn’t disappear into a puff of smoke, Sam hauled him closer, crushing the Archangel to his chest. Gabriel let himself be manhandled, too surprised by the sudden display of affection to resist.

 

Sam dropped a kiss onto the angel’s mop of blond hair. “Ok.” He whispered. Gabriel’s eyebrows made a valiant attempt to vanish into his hairline. 

 

“Ok?” He asked. He had to be sure. 

 

Sam nodded. “Ok.” The young man repeated. “I can’t promise that my worries won’t creep back up, but I’ll try to give us a chance.” 

 

“About damn time on that one, Moose.” Gabriel said, tone teasing but happy as he smiled brightly enough to rival the sun. “So… then can I take you on another date tonight?” 

 

Sam grinned down at him. “I’m all yours.”


	6. Moondance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel takes Sam on their second date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited/unbeta'ed because my lovely beta reader is on vacation. All mistakes are my own. I'm sure there will be edits sometime next week but I wanted to get what I've got up now (since y'all have been so lovely and patient with me!)

The pair made their way back to what had become the “man cave” in the bunker, where they found Castiel attempting to figure out how to use the antique record player while Dean watched with amusement. Sam quickly took pity and showed him how to load a record and turn it on. Castiel visibly started when the needle hit the record with a loud scratch, then started playing an Elvis song. The angel seemed entranced for a few long moments, but then he moved to change the record with an apologetic glance at his husband. 

 

“I am sorry, Dean. This is not your usual preference in music.” Dean slipped off the couch and wrapped his arms around the angel from behind.

 

“Babe, it’s alright. I can dig Elvis.” He nuzzled into Castiel’s shoulder, pulling a contented sigh from the angel. Gabriel caught Sam’s eye and mimed making himself vomit. Sam snickered and lobbed a pillow at the pair before settling onto the couch beside the Archangel.

 

After a few minutes, Gabriel decided to push his luck just a little. He arched his back and stretched, draping his right arm over Sam’s shoulder. The human chuckled.

 

“Real subtle, Gabe.” He gently elbowed the angel in the ribs but made no move to scoot away. Gabriel just smirked. “So, I believe there was a date mentioned?” Sam prodded, startling a laugh out of Gabriel. 

 

“Impatient, Sam-a-lam? Don’t worry, I’ve got a real treat in store for you.” Sam tried his best to wheedle some more details out of the angel, but was met with nothing but jokes and deflection. Meanwhile, Castiel had finally put the record player away and Dean was browsing Netflix. 

 

Gabriel privately wondered why he was bothering to browse, since Game of Thrones was one of the few shows all four of them could agree on (if you disregarded Sam’s habit of pointing out inconsistencies between the show and the books). Castiel and Sam loved documentaries, which put the other two straight to sleep. Dean and Gabriel always wanted to watch Doctor Sexy or Mythbusters, both of which were met with groans from the others. Dean by himself was content to watch random cooking shows and later use the rest of the group as his guinea pigs when he inevitably took to the kitchen to test out ideas.  Gabriel was prone to putting on mindless cartoons like Bugs Bunny, much to Castiel’s dismay. 

 

Dean finally paused in his browsing, glancing over at the others for approval- he had landed on the first Harry Potter movie. The brothers had caught most of the series over the years, but Castiel remained unindoctrinated. Sam nodded enthusiastically and Gabriel snapped up a huge bowl of popcorn as Dean hit play. The next almost three hours were mostly spent in silence, punctuated only by occasional questions from Cas or requests for more snacks, which Gabriel indulged without comment. 

 

By the time the ending credits rolled, Gabriel was getting restless. As much as he was enjoying snuggling with Sam on the couch --and that’s exactly what it had turned into, with the younger Winchester’s head resting on the Archangel’s shoulder and everything-- he really wanted to get moving. He shifted slightly and Sam sat up, looking a little bleary. 

 

“Well Sammy, you ready to head out? Or do you want to stay with Frick and Frack while they marathon Harry Potter?” Sam glanced at Dean and Cas, who were indeed queuing up the second movie. 

 

“Nah, the lovebirds won’t even notice if we go missing.” Dean flipped him off without even looking up.

 

Gabriel flashed a Trickster grin and snapped, instantly relocating them to a sunny beach. Sam blinked rapidly, trying to get his vision to adjust to the sudden change in lighting. 

 

“Where are we?” The human asked. Gabriel answering grin was just a touch manic.

 

“Coney Island, New York! One of the best boardwalks EVER!” The Archangel bounced on the balls of his feet, resembling an overeager little kid. Sam returned the grin, grabbed Gabriel’s hand and made a beeline for the nearest ice cream stand, dragging the flabbergasted Trickster after him. Gabriel was still staring at their joined fingers as Sam ordered for both of them, handing over some of his hard-won pool money in exchange for a double scoop of chocolate for himself and a triple scoop of cotton candy, M&Ms, and fudge (all dipped in an insane amount of multi-colored sprinkles) for his sugar-addicted companion. Gabriel’s eyes bugged out a bit-there was even a cherry on top.

 

“Oh Sammy, marry me!” The Archangel crowed and dove for the treat, but Sam held it up over the shorter man’s head.

 

“Oh no, you don’t. Payment first.” The human wrapped his free arm around Gabriel’s waist and stepped right into the Angel’s personal space so that Gabriel was very nearly flush against his chest. The stunned Archangel momentarily forgot how to breathe as the younger Winchester pressed a chocolate flavored kiss to his lips. Gabriel’s brain completely short circuited when he felt Sam’s tongue gently lick into his mouth, and before he could remember how to respond, the human pulled back with a shit eating grin worthy of his elder brother.

 

“Man, if that’s all it takes to shut you up, I should have done that years ago!” Sam pressed the ice cream monstrosity into the slightly cross-eyed Archangel’s hand and started off down the crowded boardwalk, a shell shocked Gabriel following in his wake.

 

When Gabriel caught up, Sam once again took his hand and Gabriel quickly decided that he liked this new, much bolder Sam. The human had obviously decided that he was done tap-dancing around, and Gabriel couldn’t agree more.

 

The pair spent several hours wandering the boardwalk, stuffing themselves with junk food and riding roller coasters until Sam was decidedly green looking and even Gabriel felt a bit motion sick. The Archangel was lugging around a massive purple dog with googly eyes that he had begged Sam to win for him. 

 

Sam had picked up a BB rifle from the booth and instantly noted that all the cans were on a slant. Compensating for the rigged game was pathetically easy for the seasoned hunter, who had laughed at the incredulous look from the kid running the booth. The short blond had dubbed the dog Fergus, which sent Sam into convulsions of laughter. He could just imagine the disgusted look the King of Hell would give his new namesake. 

 

Before either of them realized it, the sun was dropping below the horizon and the boardwalk came alive with lights. Sam tugged Gabriel off the boardwalk and towards the beach. Sam stopped long enough to discard his shoes and roll his pant legs up before wading out into the surf. Gabriel watched indulgently as the human soaked up the moonlight. The long haired man had his head thrown back, eyes closed as the salty breeze tossed his hair around. 

 

Gabriel slipped up behind him, twisting his Grace just a little, making the sand under his bare feet boost him up so he could rest his chin on the much taller man’s shoulder and wrap his arms around Sam’s waist. Sam reached a hand back to tangle into the Archangel’s golden hair. Gabriel couldn’t have said how long they stood their like that, just breathing together. 

 

The Archangel started a little when he realized that Sam was humming under his breath. He leaned in closer to catch the words.

 

_ “Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance _

_ With the stars up above in your eyes _

_ A fantabulous night to make romance _

_ 'Neath the cover of October skies _

_ And all the leaves on the trees are falling _

_ To the sound of the breezes that blow _

_ And I'm trying to please to the calling _

_ Of your heart-strings that play soft and low _

_ And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush _

_ And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush” _

 

Gabriel chuckled softly. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a Van Morrison fan, kiddo.” He murmured against Sam’s ear. Sam just shrugged in response. The blond Angel nuzzled his nose against the human’s neck just below his ear, earning a soft sigh and a full-body shiver. Gabriel gleefully filed that hotspot away in the back of his mind for future abuse. 

 

Sam turned in his arms and captured the Angel’s lips in another kiss. This time, Gabriel was ready for it when Sam licked at the seam of his lips and the parted easily. The shorter male let Sam take the lead as he slowly mapped out the Archangel’s mouth. 

 

They finally broke apart and Gabriel buried his face against Sam’s shirt, gasping for breath that he didn’t technically need. He glanced up to see Sam grinning at him, cheeks flushed and eyes a little glassy.

 

“Oh Sammy, what am I going to do with you?” He murmured, getting a low, dark laugh from the human.

 

“I’m sure you can think of  _ something _ , Gabe.” He nipped at the Archangel’s ear to punctuate the statement and it was Gabriel’s turn to shiver. Sam continued a lick-nibble-kiss trail down the Angel’s neck to his collarbone, and it took all of Gabriel’s remaining brain cells to haul the human up again.

 

“Kiddo, as much as I really,  _ really _ appreciate this sudden teasing streak, I don’t want you to feel like we have to rush anything. I said I’d go as slow as you need me to and I meant it. I want you to be comfortable. I’d rather take ages to get to the R-rated stuff than rush it and have you regret it.” It took Sam several moments to get himself back under control, but he nodded. 

 

Gabriel kissed his forehead. “Hang in there, Sammoose. We’ll get there.” Sam snickered.

 

“What’s so funny?” Gabriel asked with a Castiel-ish head tilt.

 

“Nothing… I just never expected you to be all honorable and noble about getting frisky on the second date.” Gabriel leveled him with a hard look.

 

“Sam, I’m an Angel. Consent is kinda a big thing for me. Specifically: freely given,  _ enthusiastic _ consent when it comes to the horizontal rodeo.” The human nuzzled at his neck again, further derailing his train of thought.

 

“ _ JUST _ horizontal? I figured you’d be into all sorts of crazy stuff.” Gabriel rumbled a laugh.

 

“Oh kiddo, you have no idea. I hung out with the Pagans for centuries. Your poor little vanilla mind has  _ no _ clue what they get up to. They’re a seriously kinky bunch. AH!” Sam twisted the fingers still in Gabriel’s hair, giving a firm tug.

 

“Gabe, I’m many things. ‘Vanilla’ isn’t one of them. Stanford was…..enlightening.” The Archangel’s normally whiskey colored eyes went dark. 

 

“Kid, your mouth is gonna get you in a world of trouble one of these days.” Sam laughed darkly.

  
“That’s the idea.”

 


	7. Our Way to Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok kiddos, here's where the rating begins to go up! All chapters past this point are to be considered NSFW!

Gabriel snapped them back to the bunker and was immediately accosted by Sam, who pressed the smaller man against the nearest vertical surface and proceeded to kiss the Archangel breathless again. Gabriel melted under the onslaught, letting the human plunder his mouth. 

 

When Sam’s fingers found the other man’s blond hair and tugged firmly, Gabriel hissed and arched against the man pinning him to the wall. It was almost laughable, some little part of Gabriel’s mind whispered. He had the power to smite this puny human off the face of the earth with no more effort than snapping his fingers, but he was allowing Sam to press him against a wall and kiss him senseless. But then Sam ground his hips against Gabriel’s and all rational thought went out the window. 

 

Sam wrenched away from the Archangel’s lips in favor of kissing a trail down his throat, landing a sharp nip against Gabriel’s jugular that caused the sandy haired angel to hiss and snap his head back against the wall. Suddenly, the whole world shifted as the ‘wall’ supporting him vanished and the pair tumbled to the floor….in the middle of Dean and Castiel’s doorway.

 

“Goddamn it, get a room you asshats! Stop molesting my little brother against my door!” Dean snarled from just inside the door frame. Gabriel glanced up and instantly regretted the view- Dean had obviously lunged out of bed and thrown on his robe to interrupt them. Behind him on the bed, Cas was hurriedly dragging a blanket over his hips. 

 

Sam burst out laughing. “Shut up, jerk! Like I haven’t walked in on you two screwing on half the tables in the bunker.” Dean kicked his younger brother in the ribs and slammed the door shut, smashing it into Gabriel’s head in the process. 

 

Gabriel sat up, rubbing the back of his head and seriously considering mojoing hot sauce into Dean’s lube, but Sam distracted him with a sweet, tender kiss so different from moments before that it brought Gabriel’s thought pattern to a screeching halt again. 

 

Sam finally broke the kiss with a huff of laughter and got to his feet, hauling the Angel up with him. They stood there for several long moments, just enjoying each other’s presence before a muffled groan from the other side of the door sent them sprinting down the hallway, Sam screaming about brain bleach the whole way to his own room. 

 

Once outside Sam’s bedroom, the Archangel hauled Sam down for another enthusiastic kiss, chuckling against the other’s lips. Gabriel was still laughing as Sam fumbled blindly to wrench the door open. 

 

Sam refused to break the kiss, instead opting to drag Gabriel into the room by his shirt. The door slammed shut behind them untouched, and Sam laughed at the blatant abuse of Angel mojo.

 

The angel slowly took control of the almost wild kiss, gently bringing them back down from the raging hormone high so he could make an attempt at thinking straight.

 

“Sammy, are you sure about this? Just this morning, you were half afraid to kiss me.” Sam rested his forehead against Gabriel’s, willing himself to ignore his racing heart and just how much of his blood had relocated south. 

 

“Could we just….I don't know, hang around, watch some TV…” he trailed off.

 

“Make out like teenagers?” Gabriel chuckled. “I’m game if that’s what you want, Samquatch.” The archangel snapped his fingers and suddenly Sam’s bed was about three times the size it usually was and a huge bucket of popcorn and a six pack were resting on the night stand. Another snap and Gabriel had traded his jeans and red button down for the flannel sweats and plain green t-shirt he favored for lounging around the bunker. 

 

“Show off. Turn around so I can get changed.” Gabriel almost protested, about to cite the number of times all four of them had seen each other in various states of undress over the years, but he bit his tongue. Sam was right- this was a completely different situation, and if turning his back made the human feel more comfortable, then he would do it.

 

Gabriel was interrupted from his musings by Sam gently touching his shoulder. He turned around to see Sam had changed into a set of green plaid house pants and a grey tank top that showed off the hunter’s toned physique.

 

Gabriel just couldn't resist the urge to give a low wolf whistle. He would never understand the Winchester habit of hiding under approximately 15 layers of clothing. Dean was built like a linebacker, and Sam….holy hell, the man should be an underwear model or something.

Sam rolled his eyes at the archangel’s antics and flopped onto his bed, digging the remote out from the drawer he usually kept it in. 

 

“Any preference?” the human asked.

 

“I'm in the mood for action and adventure and explosions. Die Hard?” Sam shook his head. 

 

“Dear God, no. Dean and I've seen that so many times, it isn't even funny. Avengers?” Gabriel nodded agreeably, and Sam queued the movie up. He patted the pillow beside him invitingly and Gabriel all but cannonballed onto the bed, stretching and wiggling rediculously to get comfortable. Sam tugged him closer and the angel settled against his side, humming contentedly as Sam started dragging his fingers through the angel’s hair. 

 

By the time Black Widow was trying to recruit The Hulk, Sam was shifting around uncomfortably. The arm Gabriel was laying on had gone numb and his back was still aching from having met a wall during a fight with a werewolf a few weeks prior. Gabriel had healed the bruising, but the muscles were still tender. 

 

The archangel noticed Sam’s sudden wiggliness and sat up, shooting the hunter a questioning glance. “What gives, Sam-a-lam?” Sam rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the ache.

 

“Just sore. Don’t worry about it. It’s a hazard of the lifestyle.” Gabriel was having none of that. 

 

“Like heck, kiddo. Off with the shirt and lay down on your stomach.” Sam arched an eyebrow but did as he was ordered, flopping forward so he could still see the movie. Gabriel took a moment to appreciate the gorgeous view in front of him before straddling Sam’s thighs and clicking his fingers, summoning up a bottle of lotion. He warmed some between his fingers before spreading it across Sam’s upper back and digging his thumbs in, wincing in sympathy at the sheer number of knots in the hunter’s muscles.

 

Sam gave an approving groan as the archangel worked, slowly inching his way down the man’s spine vertebra by vertebra. By the time he reached Sam’s waistband, the hunter was moaning softly, arching slightly into Gabriel’s talented hands. With an absolutely Herculean effort, Gabriel resisted the urge to cop a feel of the hunter’s ass and instead worked his way down to massage his right thigh. 

 

Gabriel was reveling in the amount of freedom to touch he was being given, even if it was through a layer of fabric, and the sounds that Sam was making was enough to drive him half mad with want. He continued his path down, easing the tension in Sam’s calf before picking up his foot. Sam jerked a bit, pulling his foot away.

 

“Ticklish, Sammy-boy?” He asked gleefully. Sam grumbled something involving “Dean” and “torture” into the pillow he had his face buried in. Gabriel obligingly moved to work on the other calf instead. He kneaded the dense muscle, slowly working his way back up. Sam groaned appreciatively when the archangel finally patted his leg and sat back, admiring his handiwork.

 

“Holy shit, where did you learn to give a massage like that?” the human asked incredulously, twisting his back and hips to pop his back. He gave a particularly orgasmic sounding groan as his back did a reasonable impersonation of a bowl of rice crispies. Gabriel snorted.

 

“If you think  _ that _ was good, you’re going to lose your mind over what else I can do.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Sam pelted him with a handful of popcorn.

 

“Hedonist.”

 

“Guilty as charged, kiddo. And I'm damned good at it.” 

 

Sam gave a disbelieving snort. “I'll believe that when I see it.” Gabriel growled softly and lunged at Sam, pressing the young man down into the mattress by his shoulders. He straddled Sam’s thighs for better leverage.

 

“You sure you wanna challenge me, kid?” His eyes glinted golden around the edges.

 

Sam’s answering smirk was Trickster-worthy. He hauled the archangel down for a blistering kiss, alternating between plundering Gabriel’s mouth and nipping at his lower lip. 

 

Gabriel gave as good as he got, tangling his fingers into Sam’s long hair and giving a firm pull. Sam hissed in pleasure-pain and shifted his massive hands to Gabriel’s ass. He kneaded firmly and then pulled, thrusting up at the same time. Both men gasped raggedly at the delicious friction. 

 

Gabriel shifted slightly and ground down, pressing against Sam’s hard length. He broke the kiss to bite and lick at Sam’s throat, pulling another delicious moan from the man under him.

 

Sam retaliated by digging his hands under Gabriel’s shirt and raked his nails down his spine directly between the shoulder blades, and Gabriel howled. The overhead lights flickered rapidly and the glass on the bedside table exploded, showering them both with water. Sam watched in awe as Gabriel's wings briefly flickered into existence before the angel drew back, breaking contact with Sam’s hands. 

 

“Gabe? What was that?” the human asked softly. Gabriel sucked in a shaky breath, desperately fighting for some shred of self control. 

 

“Angel hot spot, Samoose. Our wings are…..sensitive. It's not so bad normally. I mean, it would get  _ really _ awkward during wing grooming if we reacted like that all the time. But in the middle of sexy times, it's like a prostate hit on steroids.”

 

Sam’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit.” Gabriel nodded, nuzzling into Sam’s neck for a moment before leaning back to look the younger man in the eyes.

 

“You ok, Sammy?” all the playfulness went out of his voice. He really didn't want to push the man into more than he was ready to give.

 

Sam sighed heavily. Now that they were easing back from the almost desperate passion of just a moment before, he actually  _ was  _ feeling a little uncomfortable.

 

“It’s so  _ stupid! _ I mean, I'm not the manwhore that Dean used to be, but I don't usually feel like I have to take things slowly either.” he huffed in frustration. Gabriel put a halt to his flustered muttering with a soft kiss. 

 

“Sam, I promise it's ok. I'm billions of years old-I'm literally older than dirt. I've got nothing but time on my hands. I'll wait as long as you need me to. I swear I won't rush you or get angry. Even if we never get past this point, I'll still be the happiest being in creation.”

 

Sam blushed a little and ducked his head, humbled by the naked adoration on the Archangel’s face.

 

“Why me?” the human asked. Gabriel looked genuinely confused.

 

“ _ Why you?  _ Because you're the most incredible being I've ever met! Because despite being literally put through hell, being used for Lucifer’s punching bag, being fed demon blood as an infant, and a lifetime of bad shit, your soul is the brightest, most glorious thing I've ever seen! Because you've been beaten down, used, abused, and cast aside, but somehow you find the strength and compassion to be a good man.  _ I  _ should be the one asking ‘why me?’!” Gabriel paused for breath and chuckled at the outright stunned look Sam was giving him.

 

“Sam, you somehow found it in your heart to forgive me for the crap I put you through. You gave me a chance when you would have been well within reason to tell me to fuck off and never come back. I don't understand why, but I will spend the rest of my existence proving to you that I'm worth it.” 

 

Sam buried his face against the Archangel’s shoulder, shaking with relief and unshed tears. Gabriel just held him close, humming softly in Enochian. Finally, Sam sat back again, his eyes just a little red and puffy. 

 

“What were you singing?” Gabriel’s cheeks turned a little pink.

 

“An old, old song I used to sing for Cassie when he was just a fledgling. He was such a hot-blooded little thing, never in control of his emotions. He got so frustrated when his age-mates learned to fly and he still couldn’t. He hated his wings, did you know that?” Sam shook his head. “Cassie hatched with black wings, which is very rare. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but cream and white are the most common. Most are at least some sort of bright or pale color. Some of his age-mates mocked him for having such dark wings. They called him ‘Little Demon’.”

 

Gabriel paused, lost in his memories for a moment. “I wish you could have met him back then, before that bitch Naomi started her brainwashing campaign. I wish I could have killed her myself.” He glanced at Sam, who desperately wanted to ask a million questions, but was afraid that if he spoke, Gabriel would clam up. The Archangel very rarely spoke about his past. 

 

“Even I heard him when he pulled Dean out of Hell. I hadn’t heard his voice in centuries, but I knew it had to be him. It was a scream of defiance and triumph. An entire garrison stormed the gates of Hell to rescue the Righteous Man. Cas was the only survivor. The Little Demon had proven that he was the strongest angel in the garrison, and quite possibly all of Heaven, short of the remaining Archangels.” The pride in Gabriel’s voice was evident. He fell silent, obviously unwilling to say more.

 

Sam kissed the Archangel’s forehead. “Thank you for telling me that, Gabe. I….I really like hearing about your past.” Gabriel chuckled. 

 

“We could be here for the rest of your lifetime and still not scratch the surface, Sam-I-Am. But I’ll tell you a few more stories, if you’d like.” Sam nodded enthusiastically and pulled the sandy haired angel down until they were laying side by side with Sam’s head resting on Gabriel’s chest.

 

“Well Sammy, there was this one time when Cassie ran off on his own in the Garden to try to learn to fly. He climbed all the way to the top of a tree and I think he just….jumped. He plummeted straight down and got stuck, hanging upside down by his tunic! Joshua heard him screaming and sent me to rescue him, but Cas was so stubborn that he wouldn’t let me fly up to bring him down! Oh, and another time……..”

 

Several hours passed before Gabriel noticed that Sam had drifted off to sleep, smiling peacefully and still cuddled against the Archangel’s chest. Gabriel bent to kiss the top of the man’s head and settled back down to guard is Sam’s dreams.


	8. Falling for You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, the boys FINALLY get somewhere, after 7 chapters worth of fumbling, panicking, and cockblocking brothers.

The first thing Sam noticed as he slowly came back to awareness was how warm and comfy he was. Opening his eyes felt like too much effort, so he just snuggled back down into what felt like the world’s softest blanket. He registered faint movement under his head and blearily realized that he must still be using Gabriel as a pillow.

 

He had nearly dozed off again when he realized with a jolt that the fluffy, soft blanket over him could only be one thing-Gabriel’s wings. He was cuddling with an  _ Archangel of the Lord, _ an all-powerful creature older than time, and using his wings for a  _ blanket _ .

 

Gabriel felt Sam stir, snuggling back into the angel’s embrace with a happy sigh, before going tense and starting to pull away. Gabriel immediately wrapped Sam tightly with his wings, pressing the human to the bed until he stopped squirming. 

 

“Sammy, I promise it’s ok. I’m not gonna burn your eyes out, and you can’t hurt my wings.” Sam slowly relaxed and cracked his eyes open. He was greeted by a face full of gloriously golden feathers. The human couldn’t help himself and reached out, brushing his fingers along one of the foot-long primary feathers. Gabriel shivered, and Sam snatched his hands back. Gabriel quickly grabbed Sam’s hands. 

 

“Don’t stop….” The angel whispered. Sam tentatively caressed the feathers, slowly petting them before sinking his fingers into the soft layer of down underneath the flight feathers. Gabriel moaned softly, arching into the caress. 

 

Sam continued his slow exploration, stretching his arms out as far as he could, but he was still unable to reach the tips of the massive uppermost wings. He traced his fingers back inwards and into the down where the wings seamlessly faded into Gabriel’s back. Digging his fingers into the feathers there, he encountered a small nub about the size of a walnut. When he drew his hand back, his fingers were coated in a thick amber-colored oil.

 

“Gabe, what….?” He asked, bringing the oil to his nose and sniffing curiously. The oil smelled like cotton candy.

 

“Wing oil, Sammy. It won’t hurt you…. Oh Jesus fucking  _ CHRIST _ and all his disciples!” He stared disbelieving as Sam flicked his tongue out to taste the thick oil. The young man obviously discovered that he liked the flavor, because he began enthusiastically sucking it from his fingers. Gabriel stared in stunned silence, pupils blown wide with lust. Sam shot him a filthy grin and captured the angel’s lips in a searing kiss. 

 

With his last few remaining brain cells, Gabriel decided that tasting his own wing oil from Sam’s tongue was the best thing he had ever tasted in his untold years of existence and chased every drop with his tongue. His cock went from ‘ _ hmm, this is interesting _ ’ to  _ ‘Oh HELLS YEAH _ ’ so fast that it made his head spin. Sam finally pulled back, gasping for air. His hand sought out the gland again and probed it firmly, getting a fresh burst of oil. Gabriel moaned again, arching against the human. 

 

Sam chuckled darkly. “You’re so wet, just like a woman. I bet I could make you cum just from this, couldn’t I?” He continued to stroke the little knot, drawing another ragged gasp from the angel. “You gonna answer me, Angel?”

 

“Yes dammit,  _ YES! _ ” The angel all but howled, bucking against Sam’s hips in a desperate search for some friction on his aching cock. 

 

The Winchester got a decidedly wicked look in his eyes and Gabriel barely had time to blink before Sam dipped down to nuzzle and then lap at the leaking gland, causing the archangel to go off into what could only be a stream of obscenities in Enochian. Sam paused and met Gabriel’s eyes again, holding his gaze for a few heartbeats before he lowered his head and  _ sucked _ at the oil gland. Gabriel screamed, and his vision went white.

 

When Gabriel came to, he was lying stretched out completely on Sam’s chest with his wings draped over them both like a golden tent. Sam was slowly stroking up and down his wings in a soothing motion. Gabriel stretched a bit.

 

“Holy shit, kiddo. What did you do to me? I can’t feel my vessel!” Sam gave him a smug grin.

 

“I made you cum in your pants like a  _ teenager! _ ” The human chuckled. Gabriel thumped him on the chest.

 

“Oh yeah? Let’s see  _ you _ not lose it when somebody’s pounding your prostate with a fucking Hitatchi!” The Archangel got a very contemplative look in his eyes, and Sam shuddered in anticipation. Gabriel shifted a little, wincing at the rather nasty feeling of drying jizz in his sweatpants, and snapped his fingers to clean himself up.  

 

“That’s a handy trick.” Sam commented. Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

 

“It’s part of the perks of having an angelic boyfriend, Sam-a-lam. I can also conjure lube.” Sam froze, his hand stilling on Gabriel’s back.

 

“Boyfriend?” He asked softly. Gabriel flinched at the slip up, but it was too late to take it back now.

 

“You ok with that, kiddo?” Gabriel gently brushed his fingers along Sam’s cheek. Sam seemed to consider it for a moment.

 

“Actually, yeah. I think I like the way that sounds.” Gabriel grinned triumphantly and kissed Sam’s forehead, each cheek, his nose, then finally captured the man’s lips in a sweet, tender kiss.

 

When they finally parted, Sam was grinning so widely that his cheeks ached. Gabriel wiggled a little to get more comfortable but stilled when he felt Sam’s still-hard length against his hip. His eyes went whiskey-dark and he leaned down to whisper in Sam’s ear.

 

“You want me to take care of that for you, babe?” He darted a hand down to grasp Sam’s cock through the thin layer of flannel. Sam hissed through his teeth and nodded. Gabriel, Trickster grin firmly in place, inched his way down Sam’s body, nipping and kissing the whole way. He paused for a moment to press a kiss to the protective tattoo on Sam’s left pec, then lavish attention on the human’s nipple, chuckling softly when Sam moaned and arched against him.

 

“Sensitive, Sammy-boy?” Sam groaned out an affirmative and Gabriel went to town, licking and suckling the nipple into a hard peak. While his mouth was busy, he gently pinched and toyed with the other nipple, then switched sides to give it the same treatment with his tongue. Sam was gasping raggedly by the time Gabriel deemed that he had given both nipples adequate attention and returned to his south-bound path. He snuffled his nose against the trail of hair leading down Sam’s gorgeous abs and disappearing into his waistband, surprising what sounded suspiciously like a giggle out of the human.

 

The Archangel paused for a moment before mouthing softly at Sam’s length through the flannel, lapping at the growing wet mark. Sam tangled his fingers into the other man’s hair, not pushing but rather just maintaining the gentle contact. Gabriel hummed happily and hooked his fingers into the worn elastic, slowly drawing it down as if he was unwrapping the world’s best Christmas present.

 

‘Oh, I love it when they’re proportional!’ the Archangel thought gleefully, admiring the fine specimen of a male laid out in front of him. His mouth watered at the thought of getting to taste Sam. He glanced up and saw Sam’s cheeks turning red under the scrutiny. 

 

“Sammy, you are absolutely perfect.” He murmured and dipped his head to lick Sam’s cock from root to tip. Sam gave a broken moan and bucked his hips, and Gabriel repeated the gesture just to hear that sound again. He flicked his tongue into the slit, gathering the dribble of precum there before wrapping his lips around the head and suckling gently. 

 

Sam stroked the back of Gabriel’s head encouragingly and Gabriel grinned around Sam’s cock before diving down, deep throating him in one movement. Sam threw his head back and moaned desperately, fighting the almost overwhelming urge to come then and there. Gabriel swallowed around him and Sam went a bit cross-eyed.

 

“Oh God….” Sam ground out. Gabriel pulled back with a wince.

 

“Sammy, can we leave my Dad out of this? Pretty please?” Sam laughed ruefully.

 

“Sorry, Gabe.” Gabriel winked playfully and went right back to what he’d been doing. He hollowed his cheeks around Sam’s cock and sucked firmly, pulling a punched-out gasp from Sam. He pulled out all the stops, utilizing every trick he’d learned in the thousands of years that he’d spent pretending to be a Pagan god, and bringing all that considerable skill to bear on one single task- giving Sam Winchester the best blowjob of his life.

 

Sam was beyond words, reduced to nothing except incoherent moaning and Gabriel’s name. The grip he had on Gabriel’s hair was tight enough to make a human scream, but it just seemed to egg the Archangel on even further. Sam had completely given up trying to be still or be quiet, writhing on the bed and moaning until his throat ached. He could feel himself spiraling closer and closer to the edge, but it was the press of a single slick finger against his hole, not dipping in but just teasing the sensitive flesh that sent him flying over the edge, howling Gabriel’s name. 

 

Gabriel nursed him through it, never letting him feel anything but the wet heat of his mouth as he convulsed. The archangel greedily lapped up every drop of cum, gently milking him to be sure that he’d gotten it all. When Sam finally collapsed to the mattress in a boneless heap, Gabriel wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and crawled up to lay beside his human. 

 

The Archangel chuckled in amusement when Sam snuggled into his chest, pressing kisses everywhere he could reach between ragged breaths. Their cuddling was rudely interrupted by Dean pounding on the door.

 

“Keep it down, will ya?! I can hear you from the other side of the damned bunker!” The elder Winchester yelled. Sam groaned, still too winded to muster up a response.

 

‘Castiel? Can you do something about your mate, please?’ The Archangel projected at his little brother. A moment later, both the pounding on the door and the yelling ceased abruptly, replaced by a surprised groan.

 

“Damn babe, what’s gotten into  _ you  _ today?” Dean asked, his voice amused.

 

“Not your dick, unfortunately. You must remedy that.” Came Castiel’s muffled response.

 

Sam sat bolt upright. “ _ Seriously _ , you two? Go the fuck away!” Gabriel dissolved into peals of laughter.


	9. Touched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More unrepentant smut. I regret nothing.

Gabriel wasn't quite sure when he had slipped from a Grace-restoring trance to actual sleep, but the first thing he registered upon waking up was Sam’s gloriously hot mouth wrapped around his cock. The Archangel’s eyes flew open and his hands instinctively went to Sam’s hair, tugging gently to get him to look up.

 

“Oh Sammy, if you insist on waking me up like this, I'm going to have to keep you.” the angel sighed. Sam grinned up at him from around a mouthful of cock.

 

“Come up here, beautiful.” Gabriel tugged his boyfriend up until he could kiss him senseless. Sam hummed happily.

 

“G’morning, Gabe.” He nuzzled into the Archangel’s neck, kissing and nibbling.

 

“Good morning, handsome.” The Archangel replied. He gently ran his nails down the human’s spine, getting a lovely shiver in response. “So, what's the plan for today?” He winked at Sam with a slightly pervy smile. Sam grinned back, his hazel eyes darkening.

 

“I was thinking I could screw you into the mattress. Or you could fuck me. I'm really not picky.” Gabriel’s eyebrows shot up and his cock jerked at the thought.

 

“Mmmmm….As much as I want to get that monster inside me ASA-fucking-P, I think I'd rather worship you.” Gabriel gripped Sam’s shoulder and easily rolled them both over. He enthusiastically kissed the young man before shifting to kiss his way down Sam’s torso. He paused for a moment at Sam’s sharp hipbones to suck a dark bruise into both sides. Sam bucked and whimpered needily and Gabriel took the hint, continuing his path straight to the human’s weeping cock. He flicked his tongue out to gather the droplets of precum. 

 

Sam fisted his hands into the sheets, fighting to stay still as the Archangel slowly worked his cock with both his tongue and a hand on his shaft. His breath hitched when Gabriel dipped a little lower to mouth at his sack. The golden-haired angel scraped his stubbled cheek against the inside of Sam’s thigh, wrenching a choked groan from him.

 

Gabriel glanced up to meet Sam’s eyes before trailing his fingers down his perineum and over his tight hole. The human gasped and jerked, another dribble of precum leaking from his cock. Gabriel quickly lapped it up and sucked the crown into his mouth, caressing it with his tongue to distract Sam from the mojo-lubed finger slowly easing its way into the human’s passage.

 

Sam hissed, bucking into Gabriel’s hands and mouth. The angel let him, easily taking the man’s whole length. Sam threw his head back and groaned brokenly when he hit the back of Gabriel’s throat. Gabriel patted Sam’s hip with his free hand, encouraging the human to move.

 

Sam’s eyes nearly went crossed when Gabriel gave him permission to fuck his throat. He pulled back a little and thrust slowly, half afraid of somehow hurting the Archangel. Gabriel pulled away with an obscene wet pop.

 

“Sam, for the love of anything still holy,  _ you cannot hurt me.  _ Now don't hold back dammit, give it to me!” He growled, and Sam thrust both hands into Gabriel’s hair, holding him so he could slide his cock deep into the angel’s welcoming mouth. He found an easy rhythm of slow, deep thrusts, moaning desperately when the archangel hummed around him and slid a second finger into his ass, crooking his fingers to press against Sam’s prostate. 

 

“Oh  _ fuck _ , Gabe….” he groaned. “Fuck, fuck,  _ please!” _ Sam begged. Gabriel chuckled around his cock.

 

“All in good time, kiddo.” The angel licked a stripe from root to tip and then mouthed his way back down the red, achingly hard shaft. But instead of pausing at Sam’s balls again, he continued south. Sam yanked his hair a bit harder than necessary.

 

“Wait, Gabe!” Gabe propped himself up on his elbows to look at his boyfriend.

 

“Sammy, what's wrong?”

 

Sam flushed bright red. “I'm not….you know….” he trailed off. Gabriel fought the urge to roll his eyes.

 

“Sam.  _ Archangel.  _ I know I'm trying to suck your brains out through your dick, but at least  _ try  _ to keep up with me here.” He clicked his fingers and Sam shuddered violently as a cool, tingly feeling swept through him.

 

“Ta-da! Insta-clean! Now, can I go back to tongue-fucking my adorably clueless boyfriend?” Sam gulped and nodded and Gabriel dove back down, licking a stripe right across the other man’s hole. Sam bit his tongue in an effort to keep from screaming. 

 

Gabriel pressed his tongue against the right pucker of Sam’s hole, gently working it inside. Two fingers had eased the way, but Sam had gone tense again when he had panicked over hygiene issues. Gabriel set about relaxing and loosening the ring of muscle all over again. 

 

Above him, Sam was panting and moaning softly, but Gabriel was determined to make him howl. The angel slipped a finger in along with his tongue, seeking out and pressing against the knot of nerves deep inside. 

 

Sam whined brokenly, writhing under the angel’s expert ministrations. A second finger joined the first, scissoring him open. By the time Gabriel had worked him up to three, Sam was nearly sobbing with need. 

 

“Fuck, Gabriel….Gabe, please babe...pleasepleaseplease! Gabe, please just fuck me already!” the human gasped out. Gabriel smirked and gave one last long lick before sitting back on his haunches and summoning up a small cup of mouthwash, more for Sam’s peace of mind than actual need.

 

He crawled up Sam’s body and captured his mouth in a minty kiss. Sam’s answering kiss was verging on wild, all teeth and tongue. He broke away, gasping raggedly, to moan against Gabriel’s ear.

 

“Please, Gabe… I need you inside me. Come on babe,  _ please _ !” 

 

Gabriel gave him a million-watt smile. “Since you begged so prettily, Sammy-boy.” The shorter man grasped his own cock with a suddenly lubed hand, giving himself a couple of perfunctory strokes before lining himself up against Sam’s hole.

 

“Ready?” he breathed, and Sam kissed him softly before nodding. Gabriel thrust slowly, inching his way in at an almost painfully slow pace. He didn't stop until he was buried to the hilt, pressing his forehead against Sam’s and breathing hard. Stars above, the incredible tight heat was almost overwhelming!

 

Sam stroked up and down Gabriel’s back. “Gabe, for fuck’s sake  _ move!” _ He ground out, and the Archangel pulled back, only to snap his hips forward sharply. 

 

Sam hissed in pleasure. “Yeeeesssss…..” Gabriel shifted Sam’s legs up to his hips, gripping hard enough to leave ten fingerprint bruises on the human’s skin. 

 

“Gonna fuck you so hard, babe…. You're gonna scream for me, scream until you lose your voice.  _ Fuck _ , I've been dreaming about this for so long!” Gabriel slammed home hard enough to shift Sam up the bed.

 

Sam wrenched Gabriel’s hair, earning a feral snarl. “You talk too fucking much, Gabriel!” he growled. The angel bit his shoulder in retaliation.

 

“Shut me up then, kid!” Sam ripped his nails down Gabriel's back and the angel howled, his wings erupting into existence. Sam immediately buried his hands in the golden feathers and tugged, causing the Archangel to arch desperately on the next thrust and slam into Sam’s prostate. The human howled and pulled even harder.

 

“Oh fuck  _ yes!  _ Just like that, kid!” Gabriel ground out, pounding into the man under him as hard as he dared. Sam got a better grip on the primary feathers and yanked, twisting so hard that he was half afraid that he would rip the feathers out, but Gabriel’s wings were obviously very sturdy and could take the abuse. 

 

“Fuck Gabe, right fucking there! Oh fuck!” Sam bucked hard against him and Gabriel drove into his prostate, slamming against it with every thrust. He could feel the heat rapidly pooling in his gut and prayed that Sam was close too, because he wasn't going to last much longer.

 

“Holy shit, Sam! Fucking hell, I'm so close! Fuckfuckfuck, come on baby!” He twisted down to bite Sam’s shoulder, just above the tattoo. Sam went wild beneath him, howling until his voice cracked as he spurted between them. His fingers found Gabriel's oil glands and squeezed hard as he came, and Gabriel didn’t fall over the edge so much as he was flung over it, lost in the feeling of Sam’s hole fluttering around him as he spilled inside him and collapsed, letting Sam take his full weight.

 

It was several long minutes before either man could stop gasping for breath. Gabriel snuggled against Sam’s sweat-drenched chest, listening to his pounding heartbeat with a smug Trickster-esque grin. He didn't even bother pulling out, although he was slowly going soft. Sam shifted under him, cringing at the feeling of Gabriel's come leaking out of him.

 

“Shower?” The human asked. Gabriel huffed and snapped his fingers, mojoing them both clean. 

 

“Too much effort. Can't be bothered right now.” Sam laughed and kissed the top of the angel’s head.

 

“I thought you were an all-powerful Archangel. Don't tell me you're worn out  _ already.”  _ The human joked. Gabriel pinched his nipple.

 

“Watch it, babe. Your mouth is writing checks your ass may not be able to cash.” Sam chuckled and kissed his lips, teasing the other man into a languid make out session. But all too soon, Sam’s empty stomach made itself known and the human broke away with a rueful grin.

 

“Breakfast?” He asked. Gabriel glanced at the neon green numbers on the night stand. 

 

“Closer to lunch, actually. But yeah, I could eat!” 

 

“Gabe, you can  _ always _ eat. If I ate like you do, I’d be about 300 pounds.” Sam grumbled. Gabriel just laughed.

 

Sam demanded a shower before heading to the kitchen, citing Dean’s everlasting mockery if they walked in reeking of sex. 

 

“You're not going to hear any complaints from me, kiddo! Like I would turn down any opportunity to see you naked!” the Archangel scoffed. Thankfully the bunker showers had been designed to hold multiple people, and the walls were lined with shower heads. The hot water seemed almost limitless, despite running on technology that was decades old. Sam was stumped by it, but by unspoken rule neither of the Winchester brothers looked at it too closely. 

 

Showering with Gabriel proved to be a time-consuming endeavor, since the angel seemed determined to personally scrub every inch of Sam’s body. That led to the pair of them pressed against the shower wall with Gabriel’s legs wrapped around Sam’s hips, grinding against each other until they came. Then they had to clean up  _ again _ , and by the time they finally emerged from the shower room, it was well past noon. 

 

Dean greeted the couple with a snicker. “Hey Cas, look who finally decided to emerge from their den of iniquity!” 

 

“Fuck off, Dean.” Sam replied cheerfully.

 

“Already did, baby brother.” Sam slapped his hands over his ears.

 

“La-la-la I can't hear you!” Sam singsonged. 

 

“Yeah but we could sure hear  _ you!”  _ Dean shot back. 

 

“Now boys, no need to get into a dick measuring contest. Besides, we all know Cassie would win anyways!” Gabriel called from the kitchen doorway. Castiel shot his elder brother a withering glare, Dean went beet red, and Sam buried his face in his hands. 

  
“How is this my life?” The younger human grumbled.


	10. Stuck in the Middle with You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooo sorry I haven't updated in so long! Life happened. But here, have an extra-long chapter to make up for it! Smut, giggles, and goo ahoy!

By the end of the week, Dean was itching to get out on a hunt again. No one else seemed all that eager to leave the peace and comfort of the bunker, but when Bobby called to tip them off about a coven potentially going darkside about six hours away, they all followed the elder Winchester’s lead and started packing. Gabriel’s offer to pop them over, including the Impala, was shot down, which was why the Archerald of the Lord was now sulking in the back seat beside Castiel.

 

It wasn’t long before grouchiness gave way to boredom, which in turn resulted in Gabriel becoming roughly as obnoxious as a sugared up four-year-old. First, he started kicking his feet against the back of Sam’s seat. Then he decided that chewing and loudly popping bubble gum sounded like fun. By the time he progressed to changing the radio stations, the others were rapidly running out of patience. Dean shot the angel a filthy glare in the rearview mirror and changed from the radio to a Metallica tape, cranking the music as loud as he could tolerate it to drown out Gabriel whistling along. 

 

The final straw was Gabriel changing the tape to an Asia one. Heat of the Moment came on, and Sam snapped. He lunged for the tape deck, ejected the offending tape, rolled his window down, and flung it out, yelling “ _ HEAT OF THE FUCK NO!”  _ All three men stared at him with mixed expressions. Dean was furious -despite Gabriel’s tampering, that had been his favorite Metallica tape-, Castiel was concerned for Sam’s rapidly skyrocketing blood pressure, and Gabriel seemed to be some cross between amused and chagrined. 

 

Sam whipped around in his seat to level Gabriel with a glare that might have killed a lesser being. “If you ever,  _ ever, EVER _ play that song again, I will never fucking speak to you again! Got it?!” He barked, and Gabriel shrank inwards on himself, properly ashamed. He hadn’t stopped to think about the memories that particular song might trigger. 

 

“Sorry, Sammy…” The archangel murmured, staring down at his hands. Sam spun back around to stare out the window, visibly fuming. Gabriel made several attempts to apologize to the human but was met with nothing but irritated grunts. The other couple exchanged a meaningful glance in the mirror and Castiel nodded almost imperceptibly. 

 

When they finally stopped to get gas, Dean hustled the rather forlorn Archangel towards the convenience store while Castiel cornered Sam. 

 

“Sam, you know that Gabriel did not mean anything by it. He was bored and attempting to annoy Dean.” Sam sighed.

 

“I know, I know. But I spent the better part of a year waking up to that goddamned song every single morning, knowing that I was going to have to watch Dean die in some awful way and I had no way of stopping it. I’ve never hated anything more in my life than I do that song. I forgave him a long time ago, but that stupid song reminds me of the hell he put me though.”

 

Castiel remained quiet, letting the human vent without making any move to calm him.

 

“And that is completely understandable. I would be angry, too. But I do not believe that he meant to be cruel. He is, at heart, a Trickster. Even before he left heaven, Gabriel was often causing mischief. Most of the other angels did not find his antics entertaining.” Castiel smiled softly, getting a far away look in his eyes. Sam eyed him curiously.

 

“But you did?” He asked disbelievingly. The somewhat uptight Seraph was the last person he would expect to be amused by a prank-pulling Archangel. Castiel chuckled.

 

“Yes, Gabriel’s pranks were entertaining when they were not directed at me. But those are stories for another time. Will you forgive him? He genuinely seems to regret the pain he caused you.” Sam sighed and nodded, the tension leaving his shoulders.

 

Meanwhile, Dean had Gabriel by the shirt in the men’s room. “Gabriel, what the hell was that?” He growled. Gabriel looked well and truly regretful, but Dean was hesitant to trust it.

 

“Me being an unthinking asshole.” Gabriel muttered. “Look Winchester, you can put me down. I fucked up and I know it, no need to pull the ‘you hurt my baby brother, I’m going to fuck you up’ routine.” Dean let go and clapped the shorter man on the shoulder.

 

“Just so long as you know. Now, go buy Sammy something healthy-ish as an apology and get your ass back in the car.”

 

Gabriel headed back into the main store and started loading up on candy for himself before stopping at the counter of the attached coffee shop. He was pleasantly surprised to see that they offered several fruit smoothies and ordered a mixed berry one. He paid for the whole lot with a credit card under the name of  Jacques Strap.

 

By the time he got out to the car, Sam was filling the tank with gas and Castiel was learning to check the oil under Dean’s watchful eye. Gabriel sidled up to his boyfriend, noting that he seemed to have cooled down. He shot a grateful pulse of energy towards Castiel, who replied with an exasperated yet fond burst.

 

The Archangel cleared his throat to get Sam’s attention, then presented him with the purple frozen concoction. Sam accepted it and warily took a sip, breaking into a small but genuine smile when it proved to be quite good. He bent to kiss Gabriel’s forehead with cold lips.

 

“Thanks, babe.” He whispered and the Archangel smiled tentatively.

 

“So, I’m forgiven?” He asked. Sam pulled him into a hug.

 

“Of course. I’m sorry I overreacted.” Gabriel sighed.

 

“No, I’m sorry I was so thoughtless. Out of the millions of songs I could have used to irk Dean, I had to go and pick  _ that  _ one. I’m a colossal ass.” Sam chuckled and kissed him again, this time square on the lips.

 

“Yeah, but you’re  _ my _ colossal ass.” Dean slammed the hood shut.

 

“Alright lovebirds, load up before you give somebody diabetes.”

 

“Shut up, jerk!” Sam laughed.

 

“Whatever, bitch. Now, get in the back with your boyfriend and keep him entertained.” Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows at Dean.

 

“You sure about that, Dean-o?” Dean rolled his eyes so hard Sam was vaguely concerned about them getting stuck. 

 

“No making out in my car, you idiots.” Dean threw himself into the driver’s seat and yanked his door shut. Sam pushed Gabriel into the back seat and slid in after him, leaving a long-suffering Castiel to get in the shotgun seat. 

 

The rest of the drive was relatively peaceful, with only one noteworthy incident. While Sam had been distracted talking to Castiel about some archaic book or another, Gabriel mojoed glitter into the air vent on Dean’s left and turned the vent off. When Dean quickly started to feel overheated, he fumbled to turn on the air conditioning and got a face full of pink glitter for his troubles. Gabriel dissolved into tears of laughter as Dean sputtered and sneezed. The enraged Winchester pulled over at the first hotel he found and dragged Gabriel out of the car by the Archangel’s hair, smearing the glitter all over him and screaming at him to “get that goddamned stripper herpes out of my Baby  _ right fucking now!!!” _ The angel complied, still chuckling. Sam threw Castiel a look that screamed ‘what the hell are we doing with these buffoons?’ and stomped off to pay for two rooms as far apart as he could manage.

 

When he returned with two keys in hand, the Impala was spotless and Castiel was helping Dean unload. Gabriel was still cackling from his spot on the curb. Dean was muttering darkly about revenge as Sam handed him the key to the room on the first floor. His own room was on the third floor and in the opposite wing. 

 

“Come on Gabriel, you’ve done enough damage for one day. We’ll meet you for dinner later, ok Dean?” Dean grunted something that was obviously supposed to be a reply, and Sam just shrugged before shouldering his duffel bag and hauling Gabriel off towards their room.

 

Once there, Sam glared half-heartedly at his angelic boyfriend, who at the moment looked about as far from angelic as possible. The man was still giggling to himself, obviously plotting another prank.

 

Sam flopped into the chair with a sigh. “Gabe, what were you thinking?” Gabe snorted at him.

 

“Oh lighten up, it was just some glitter. It’s not like I put itching powder in his underwear or anything.” Gabriel arched an eyebrow pointedly, and Sam chuckled at the memory.

 

“He couldn’t sit still! Dad got sick of it and asked if he needed to go to the clinic for an STD test! But seriously, don’t fuck with his car. I think he’s more in love with it than he is Cas!”

 

Gabriel snickered. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave the damned metal death trap alone. But everything else is fair game.” 

 

“Watch out, ok? Dean’s probably plotting revenge right now. And he escalates shit. Bobby banned all prank wars in his house after we hospitalized each other once.”

 

“Oh, please. Dean-o can try all he wants, he won’t be able to out-trick the Trickster.” Gabriel climbed into Sam’s lap, straddling him so he could entice the young man into a heated kiss. The Archangel worked his way down to Sam’s ear.

 

“I want to ride you, babe. That ok with you?” Sam shot him an incredulous look.

 

“Do you even have to ask?” Gabriel chuckled against his neck, the puff of air against his ear sending shivers down the human’s spine.

 

Sam carded his fingers into the angel’s blond hair and tugged slightly, forcing him back up for another blistering kiss, spreading heat through the Archangel’s core like wildfire. They spent several long minutes just kissing and slowly grinding against each other before Gabriel got impatient and snapped their clothes away, pulling a surprised hiss from the man under him at the sudden change in friction. Gabriel shifted a little and grasped Sam’s cock, positioning it.

 

“Gabe, hang on…..” Sam trailed off, remembering Gabriel’s handy lube-summoning trick. The archangel smirked at him.

 

“See, you  _ can _ be taught!” He pressed back against Sam’s length, some combination of mojoed lube and instant self prep making it as easy as sliding into a willing woman. Sam’s breath left him in a punched out gasp as Gabriel took his considerable length to the hilt in one easy slide. 

 

Sam closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Gabriel’s, breathing hard through his nose. When the human seemed to have a better grip on his self control, Gabriel took up an easy pace. Sam met him on every thrust, holding the angel close as they rocked together. It was so different from their previous couplings that it took Sam’s breath away. This seemed so much more intimate, as if the ultimate goal of an orgasm didn’t matter nearly so much as getting as close as physically possible to Gabriel. Their lips brushed, less of a kiss and more of a sharing of breath.

 

Gabriel was utterly lost in the feelings that were swamping him, threatening to drag him under completely. In all his long years, he had never felt so close to someone before. He had had plenty of sex, of course. In fact, it was one of his favorite aspects of having a vessel. But this was something else entirely. He could feel his Grace reaching out for the human in a gentle caress, wrapping Sam’s battered but glorious soul within itself. Under him, Sam gasped, a dazed and bleary expression on his face.

 

The Archangel knew what he was doing was wrong on all sorts of levels, but he simply couldn’t help himself. He allowed his Grace to cradle Sam’s soul, stroking it in the same way he would another angel’s if they were bonded. To his utter shock, Sam’s soul responded with a tentative caress. That was all it took to tip Gabriel over the edge and he desperately pulled his Grace back in on himself just before he arched and convulsed around Sam. The human followed him a heartbeat later, shaking violently as he spilled inside his boyfriend. 

 

Gabriel gasped for breath. His Grace still hummed just below the surface, causing his eyes to sparkle and shine and his skin to burn unnaturally warm. That had been  _ too _ close! For Dad’s sake, he had almost Grace-bonded with Sam! The Archangel mentally kicked himself. They had been sleeping together for less than two weeks and his Grace was trying to form an irreversible bond with his boyfriend.

 

Oblivious to Gabriel's internal struggle, Sam slowly stroked up and down the angel’s spine, holding him close. Despite slowly going soft, the human was unwilling to break the intimate physical connection just yet. He pressed a kiss to Gabriel’s forehead with a soft smile. Gabriel refused to meet his eyes, and the human’s smile faltered a bit.

 

“Gabe? What is it?” He asked softly. Gabriel immediately plastered on a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

 

“Don’t worry about it, kiddo! I’m gonna grab a shower, then we should go harass our brothers. Whatcha think?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just hopped off of Sam’s lap and booked it to the bathroom, leaving a stunned Winchester in his wake. 

 

Gabriel closed the door softly, fighting the urge to slam it in annoyance at himself, and leaned back against the cold tile. He thumped his head backwards several times in frustration. Finally, he started the shower and stepped in, relishing the bite of cold water before the heat kicked in. Despite not technically needing showers, Gabriel’s hedonistic tendencies led him to very much enjoy them. 

 

He stood there for several minutes, letting the scalding water pour down on his head, before he gently reached out with his Grace to nudge at his little brother. Castiel was wound up in Dean’s arms, the human sleeping off a sweaty romp of their own. The younger Seraph started a little, but opened the connection on his end so they could speak directly.

 

“Gabriel, is everything ok? You seem….distraught.” Gabriel briefly cursed his little brother’s intuition.

 

“Cassie, I almost Grace-bonded with Sam.” Gabriel blurted out. Shock registered over the connection, followed by confusion.

 

“Why didn’t you complete it?” The black haired angel questioned. Gabriel sent him the equivalent of a disbelieving snort. 

 

“Really, Cas? I literally  _ just _ got him to agree to date me two weeks ago, and you think it’s ok for me to slap him with the angelic version of a wedding band?” Castiel somehow rolled his eyes at his big brother over the Grace connection.

 

“Gabriel, you can be an idiot sometimes. Sam adores you, it is evident in his every movement. I’ve never seen a human love the way the Winchesters do.” The Archangel paused for thought.

 

“How long did it take you to bond with Dean?” He asked. 

 

“The bond formed on my end the moment I found his soul in Hell and pulled him to me. It took several years for Dean to overcome his mental crisis over my vessel being male and to reciprocate. But Sam is different. He has spent most of his life loving men and women equally. And you’ve seen for yourself that once he allowed himself to become involved with you, he settled in quickly. I do not think Sam would reject you if you were to bring it up with him.”  Gabriel hummed thoughtfully.

“Thanks, little bro.” Castiel sent him a pulse of affection.

 

“Give Dean a little while to rest, then meet us for dinner.” Castiel offered. Gabriel quickly agreed and broke the connection with a last wave of gratitude. He dried off and snapped himself back into his clothes, setting his shoulders before stepping back out into the bedroom. Sam was lounging on the bed in his boxers and nothing else. Gabriel gave him an approving once-over before dropping onto the edge of the bed.

 

“You ok, Gabe?” The human asked, immediately sitting up. Gabriel nodded, giving the man a genuine smile.

 

“Yeah, Sammy. I’m good. I just needed to think something over.” Sam’s slight frown took on a concerned air.

 

“Are  _ we _ good?” He asked softly. While Gabriel had locked himself in the bathroom, the young man had quietly had a bit of a panic attack over the angel’s sudden shift in behavior.

 

Gabriel kissed him soundly. “Yeah babe, we’re good. I promise.” He turned on some mindless TV to kill the next hour or so.

 

When the pair made their way to the room Dean and Cas were sharing, they were mildly surprised to find that Castiel had already procured dinner for all of them. Dean was in the shower, so Sam made himself busy by dishing out the assortment of Chinese meals. Sam spent most of the evening side-eyeing both his boyfriend and his brother, waiting for the next prank, but both men were almost suspiciously quiet. The two couples eventually went their separate ways, agreeing to meet up early the next morning to go investigate the coven.  

 

Unfortunately, the temporary truce did not last very long. By the time they reached the home of the coven leader, Gabriel’s candy stash had been swapped out for the sugar-free variety, Dean’s hand had been superglued to the steering wheel, multiple articles of clothing had been sabotaged with itching powder, hot sauce, and something cold and slimy, and both Castiel and Sam were plotting murder. To make matters worse, the coven had turned out to be nothing more than a group of thirteen-year-olds monkeying around with things they shouldn’t, leaving the hunters frustrated by the wasted trip. 

 

Returning to the bunker wasn’t an easy process. Gabriel installed a whoopie cushion in the driver’s side seat during a gas break, and Dean poured salt in the Archangel’s soda when he wasn’t looking. The smaller man retaliated by hexing Dean’s underwear to slowly grow tighter and tighter until the human had been forced to pull over and cut his boxers off with a pocket knife while Gabriel howled with laughter. When they finally reached the bunker well after sunset, the long-suffering human and Seraph shared an exasperated look before retreating to the relative safety of their own rooms. 

 

The final straw came the following morning. Dean had been up all night, researching the exact spell he needed. The older Winchester brother snickered to himself as he set his trap in the kitchen doorway, then went about making the most enticing-smelling breakfast he could concoct. 

 

Lured by the scent of coffee, pancakes, and bacon, the other three stumbled down to the kitchen in various states of alertness. Unfortunately for Dean, he didn’t realize that the first person to make it to the kitchen was not the Archangel he was targeting, but his own husband. He spun around just in time to see the disaster unfold.

 

“Cas, NO!” He choked out, but it was too late. The Grace-hex he had scrawled on the door frame activated, forcing the Seraph’s wings into the visible plane, and then the glitter bomb went off. Castiel’s inky wings were showered in a slimy, sticky, glittery mess. Dean went ghost-white and watched in mute horror as Cas slowly examined the damage. The goo Dean had concocted was specifically designed to adhere to angel feathers. He had spent hours testing it on feathers from the Men of Letters stockpile.

 

Castiel rounded on his mate and leveled him with a furious glare, eyes glowing blue with barely-suppressed rage. Most of the glassware exploded and Castiel stalked out of the room without a word, shouldering past both Gabriel and Sam on his way by. Both men wore identical expressions of absolute terror. Dean slid down the wall to the floor, ignoring the numerous glass shards all around him.

 

Gabriel cleared his throat. “I take it that was meant for me.” He said softly. Dean nodded, eyes firmly on the floor. The Archangel chuckled humorlessly. “I’ve got to hand it to you, Winchester. When you fuck up, you do it with style.” He snapped his fingers, restoring the dishes and followed his baby brother.

 

He found Castiel, unsurprisingly, in the Men of Letters shower room. The Seraph was naked from the hips up and scrubbing furiously at his feathers, desperately trying to remove the neon pink gunk. He wasn’t having much luck. 

 

“Go away, Gabriel.” He spat. 

 

“Cassie, don’t take it out on me.  _ I _ didn’t set that trap….” Castiel cut him off with an angry snap of his left wing.

 

“No, but you  _ started _ the stupid prank war! Neither of you knows when to quit! So, unless you have some way of getting this Father forsaken concoction out of my wings,  _ GO AWAY!” _ The younger angel was shaking in rage, but Gabriel just stepped closer. He shed most of his clothes with a snap and spread his own wings out, wrapping both his arms and wings around his enraged little brother.

 

“Breathe, featherhead. It’ll be ok, I promise. We’ll get rid of this gunk and I’ll call a truce with your mate. Scout’s honor.” The Archangel held up two fingers in the Boy Scout’s salute. 

 

“Gabriel, you were not a Boy Scout.” The younger angel said with a small smile.

 

“Yeah, but it made you smile, so I win.” Gabriel chuckled, tapering off to a disgusted groan when he realized that the goo had rubbed off on his own feathers. Castiel laughed outright.

 

“Serves you right!” Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck in a very Sam-like gesture. 

  
“I suppose so. Alright, soap and water aren’t working. What do you say we go hunt up your idiot husband and ask him just what he put in this crap?” 


	11. How You Remind Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter, I'm clearing the 20,000 word mark! I had no idea that this little story arc was going to turn into an eleven chapter monster. The chapter title is Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" (I went waaaaaay back for this one!) As always, I thrive on comments (even bad ones!) and kudos. I'll be chipping away at chapter 12 as soon as I get some inspiration.

As the weeks slipped by and Gabriel and Sam grew closer and closer, the Archangel could not shake the quiet but nagging urge to bond with his human. He had been making a deliberate effort to open up to the young man, answering questions about his past and even volunteering some information without prompting. He found it easier to do when he was cuddled up against his boyfriend, basking in the afterglow of a good orgasm.

 

He was in the middle of regaling Sam with the story of how a fledgling Castiel had very nearly stepped on the First Fish when Sam hesitantly interrupted him.

 

“Gabe, you’ve mentioned a couple of times that Cas ‘hatched’. Are Angels born from eggs? How is that even possible?” Gabriel glanced up and chuckled at the perplexed expression on Sam’s face.

 

“Well, yes and no. It’s not quite the way it sounds, but there really isn’t a word in any human language that conveys it. “Egg” is the closest I can get. Angels don’t technically have a physical form, so it’s not like we mate in any traditional sense. A new Angel is ‘born’ when two bond-mates combine their Grace, producing a whole new Grace. That new Grace will eventually coalesce into a newborn Angel, sort of cracking open when it’s time.” Sam was staring at him, utterly floored by this new information. Gabriel let him process the revelation. 

 

The human cleared his throat. “So, what do you mean by ‘bond-mates’?” Gabriel flinched imperceptibly. Damn Sam for picking up on that.

 

“Well, when Angels bond, it’s for life. And when you’re basically immortal, that’s a very, very long time. Some Angels bond in pairs, others in groups called ‘flocks’. These pairs or groups form the closest bond any being can ever share- they exchange a little bit of Grace, forever branding each other. The bond allows them to communicate directly over any distance instead of using ‘Angel Radio’, as you call it. They share pleasure and pain alike, taking strength from each other, but losing one of the partners could be lethal to the one remaining. By the time I left Heaven, it had fallen out of practice.” 

 

The human mulled over this new information. Gabriel waited, all but physically seeing the gears in Sam’s head turning. “Brand…. You mean like Castiel’s handprint on Dean’s shoulder?” Gabriel nodded.

 

“Exactly. Although it wasn’t deliberate, Castiel branded Dean with his Grace when he grabbed him and pulled him out of Hell. The moment he touched Dean, he laid a Grace-claim on him. Basically, it was the angel equivalent of calling ‘DIBS!’” Sam nodded in understanding.

 

“So does Cas have a mark like that, too? Or does it not work that way when it’s a human on the other side of the bond?” Gabriel chuckled nervously- Sam was getting more and more pointed with his questions.

 

“Well, Dean and Cassie are sort of a unique case. There haven’t been any Angel/human pairs since the Nephilim, and very few of them were bonded pairs. But yes, Cas has a mark, too. It’s just hidden in his wings.” Sam cocked his head.

 

“Why there?” Gabriel glanced away, more than a little embarrassed.

 

“Because that’s where Dean grabbed him when the bond formed. Can we drop it?” His cheeks were growing pinker by the second.

 

“Why? What’s wrong?” Gabriel huffed in exasperation.

 

“Because the bond forms when one or the other partner accepts the other as bondmate. Although Cassie went about it in an odd way, that  _ generally _ happens when they are...intimate.” Gabriel watched in amusement as Sam’s expression changed from consternation to horror as he put the pieces together, eventually arriving at the logical conclusion that Dean likely had a wing kink.

 

“Oh, fuck! I didn’t need to know that!” Gabriel elbowed him in the ribs.

 

“Hey, you asked!” Sam buried his face in his pillow, grumbling about brain bleach. The archangel rolled his eyes. “Look kiddo, I’m not any happier about being forced to have that mental image, either. So, can we drop it now?” Sam nodded enthusiastically. 

 

“I think I just need a distraction.” The human purred, nuzzling into Gabriel’s neck. Gabriel chuckled softly.

 

“Wanting more already, Samoose?” 

 

“What can I say, you’re irresistible.” He nibbled at Gabriel’s earlobe. Gabriel thanked whatever lucky star that might still exist that his boyfriend seemed prepared to drop the topic and rolled to lay across Sam’s chest, smirking playfully. His last rational thought before letting himself get utterly swept up in Sam was wondering how he had gotten lucky enough to have this.

  
  


Two days later, Gabriel was mentally kicking himself for thinking that the universe might allow him to be happy for once. He swore a blue streak as he hacked and slashed his way back towards his friends. They were deep in the bowels of the sewer in some Father forsaken town, chasing the rumors of a monster using it as a lair and sneaking up to the surface at night in order to hunt humans. 

 

Unfortunately for Team Free Will, it had turned out to be less of a single creature and more of a nest of dog-sized feathery and scaly nightmares called Cocktrices. Fully grown, they would be able to paralyze with a glance and their venom would be lethal, but these were juveniles. Dean was backed into a corner, barely holding his own in the face of a swarm of them. Castiel was steadily working his way towards his husband, laying about with his sword. Sam had gone missing several minutes ago, and Gabriel was becoming increasingly desperate to find him. 

 

Dean nearly went down under a pile of the nasty critters, and if Gabriel hadn't been so concerned for his boyfriend, the sight of his baby brother punting a Cocktrice like he was trying to score a field goal would have had the Archangel in hysterics. As he turned to help dig Dean out from under the swarm of featherballs, Gabriel heard a sound that made his blood run cold- Sam screaming at the top of his lungs. Castiel hauled his husband upright and slapped a hand over Dean’s eyes, Grace-blasting the throng of monsters and singing every last Cocktrice to a crisp. 

 

“Gabriel,  _ GO _ !” The younger angel barked and Gabriel was off like a shot, following the sickening echo of his boyfriend howling in pain. The Archangel tore down the tunnels at speeds that would break the bones in a human’s legs, using his wings to add even more speed. 

 

Just as he zeroed in on the sound, Sam very suddenly went silent. Gabriel screeched to a halt at a Y in the tunnel, desperately searching for anything that would indicate which path he should take. Finding nothing, he flung his Grace out ahead, searching for a heat signature. 

 

The moment he found what he was looking for, Gabriel sprinted full-tilt down the right hand tunnel. It only took him a few heartbeats to find what he was looking for. To his utter horror, Sam was tucked into the far corner with his back against the wall, slumped over. A fully-grown Cocktrice had it’s fangs imbedded in the younger Winchester’s forearm. Gabriel didn’t pause to think, he simply drew his sword and sliced the monster in half with brutal, cold efficiency. Before the beast even hit the ground, the Archangel was at Sam’s side. The human’s face was ghostly white, and the puncture marks on his arm were a sickly shade of green that was spreading in a spiderweb pattern his skin.

 

“Sam? Can you hear me?” He shook the young man’s shoulder. Sam flopped like a ragdoll, unconscious and hardly breathing.

 

“ _ FUCK _ !” The Archangel swore as he brushed his fingers and Grace against Sam’s clammy forehead. The Cocktrice’s venom was spreading rapidly from the bite mark. Gabriel sent his Grace chasing after it, trying to burn it out before it reached Sam’s heart. This venom was of a truly nasty variety- it operated by destroying nerves and muscles as fast as it could, paralyzing and rotting the victim from the inside out. If it reached Sam’s heart... The angel shook his head, trying to disrupt the thought. Sam was going to be ok. He had to be. Gabriel refused to contemplate any other alternative. 

 

Dean and Castiel burst into the room just in time to see Sam’s eyes flutter open. However, the collective sigh of relief was cut short when the younger man started seizing.

 

“SHIT! Sam! Sammy! SAM,  _ NO _ !” Gabriel dug deep, calling on every ounce of Grace he had and sending it crashing through Sam’s body in a desperate attempt to stop the seizure and reverse the venom’s damage. He saw Castiel slam down to his knees on Sam’s other side, pressing his fingers to his brother-in-law’s temple, and then the world went white.


	12. If You Leave Me Now

Sam was floating. He felt warm and safe and more relaxed than he could remember ever being. Opening his eyes felt like too much effort. He would rather just float here- wherever  _ here _ was- and listen to his own muted heartbeat in his ears. Some part of him wondered if this is what being in the womb was like. 

 

How long he hovered there, Sam couldn’t have said. Time seemed to have no meaning in this place. But dimly, became aware of a voice calling to him. It was soft and familiar, but he couldn’t place it. He wished the voice would be quiet-it was disrupting his incredible feeling of peace.

 

“Sam. Sam, come on. It’s time to wake up. Samuel, it’s time to go home.” The voice drew him out of his peaceful little bubble against his will. Sam cracked his eyes open.

 

“Gabe?” He whispered, but something seemed off. The being in front of him felt familiar, and yet wasn’t. Sam took a moment to truly look at him. His long blond hair was tied back in a series of braids, and he sported a well groomed beard. He wore a short-sleeved green tunic that fell to mid thigh over brown leggings, and there was a sword dangling from his belt. But those honey-colored eyes glinted in a very familiar way.

 

“Loki.” The short blond smirked at him.

 

“There ya go, kid.” Sam eyed the Norse God in confusion.

 

“What’s going on? Why are you here? And why do you exist at all? I thought Gabriel just pretended to be Loki.”

 

Loki chuckled. “We’re still the same being, sort of. When Gabriel ran away to play with the Pagans, he had to lock away a large part of his Grace in order to blend in. I’m the result of that. As for why I’m here, Gabriel is in serious trouble. You both are. What’s the last thing that you remember?”

 

Sam wracked his brain. “I remember the sewers… and the Cocktrices. I got separated.” Loki nodded encouragingly. “And then… Oh, Hell. I got bitten, didn’t I?”

 

“Got it in one. The venom in your veins is what’s causing all this.” Loki waved his hand vaguely. “Cocktrice venom is really nasty stuff. It doesn’t just paralyze the victim, it makes them not want to fight it and they just give up. You’re currently laying in a coma in a hotel room. You’ve been out for eight days.” Sam’s eyes went dinner plate wide. 

 

“Damn. So why is Gabe in trouble? He’s an Archangel. It’s not like the venom would affect him if he got bitten.” 

 

The Trickster God shook his head. “He didn’t get bitten, he’s burning up all of his Grace trying to keep you alive. If you don’t start fighting this stuff, neither of you is going to make it out of this. He barely has enough reserves left to keep his vessel stable.” Sam’s heart clenched. He had faced down his own death far too many times, but the idea of losing Gabe made him feel sick. He squared his shoulders.

 

“What do I have to do?” Loki extended a hand.

 

“I’ll help you. I can give you a boost of mojo strong enough to kick you out of….whatever this is.” He gestured at the emptiness around them. “But after that, it’s down to you. Feel for Gabriel and follow him back.” Sam nodded and clasped Loki’s wrist, allowing the Trickster to haul him upright. A small part of his mind registered that Loki’s forearms were tattooed whereas Gabriel’s were bare, but before he had time to examine them, Loki was speaking again.

 

“Hold on, kiddo. This is gonna be a bumpy ride.” Loki’s eyes flashed gold, and Sam howled as energy surged through his veins like fire. 

 

“Now, Sam! Reach!” Sam stretched his awareness out, even though he wasn’t quite sure what he was searching for. Loki’s grip on his arm tightened painfully.

 

“Come on, Samuel! I can’t hold this for long!” Sam clenched his jaw and dug deep, searching for any trace of his boyfriend.  _ There _ \- buried deep inside him, was a thread of Gabriel’s Grace. He reached out and gripped the thread, twisting it around his hand. He met Loki’s eyes.

 

“I’ve got him. Thank you, Loki.” 

 

Loki nodded, smirking around gritted teeth. “You’re welcome. Now get going!” Sam hesitated for just a moment.

 

“Wait! When I wake up, will I remember you?” Loki smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

 

“See ya around, kid.” The Norse God sent one last pulse of energy through the human and vanished.

 

Sam blinked his eyes open and instantly regretted it. It felt like someone was taking an ice pick to his retinas. His whole body ached in ways he hadn’t realized was possible. He let out a low groan.

 

“Sammy?” Dean’s voice came from somewhere to his left. Sam slowly turned, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. His big brother looked like someone had thrown him under a bus. His eyes were red and had dark shadows under them, and he obviously hadn’t shaved in quite a while.

 

Sam grinned weakly and tried to say something, but all that came out was a choked whimper. Dean helped his baby brother sit up and pressed a bottle of water to his lips. Sam gulped it down desperately, refusing to stop until he had polished off the entire bottle. He cleared his throat and tried again. 

 

“Hey, Dean.” Dean pulled Sam close. 

 

“Holy shit, Sammy. You scared the Hell out of us.” Sam relaxed against his brother’s shoulder for a moment, already exhausted.

 

“Where’s Gabe?” The younger Winchester asked softly. 

 

“Right here, kiddo.” Sam turned around to see Gabriel laying on the other bed, propped up on one elbow. If Dean looked rough, Gabe looked like absolute hell. His hair was lank and greasy, his skin was terrifyingly pale, and his clothes hung off him as if he had lost weight. Dean pulled back a bit and patted Sam’s shoulder reassuringly. 

 

“I’m gonna go tell Cas you’re awake.” Dean slipped out of the room. With an absolutely Herculean effort, Sam hauled himself up to a sitting position on the side of the bed. His head spun violently and his stomach clenched, and if he had had anything solid in his stomach, Sam was certain he would have lost it. Gabriel made a noise of protest.

 

“Sam, don’t try to get up! You’re way too weak to be moving yet.” Sam glared weakly and threw himself across the gap between the beds, landing in an ungraceful heap. The Archangel rolled his eyes and tried his best to pull his stubborn boyfriend into a more comfortable position. In the end, they both settled for sprawling in an exhausted tangle of limbs. Gabriel kissed his forehead.

 

“Don’t you  _ ever _ scare me like that again, kid.” He murmured against Sam’s skin. “I almost lost you, damn it.” Sam chuckled weakly.

 

“You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.” Gabriel’s eyes flashed, despite his fatigue.

 

“Damn it, Sam! Don’t joke about this, it isn’t funny. You’ve been lying here like a corpse for over a week! I very nearly burned myself out trying to keep you alive! And on that note, how in the name of all that’s holy did you manage to drag yourself out of the venom fog? We were about to give up hope.” 

 

Sam shook his head. “I’m not really sure. It’s all sort of fuzzy. There was someone… he helped me. He felt so familiar, but I can’t remember why.” He sighed in frustration. 

 

Gabriel hugged him, burying his face in Sam’s chest. “It’s ok. Maybe it’ll come to you. I’m just glad to have you back.” The Angel stroked his hand up and down Sam’s arm as if he was still trying to convince himself that Sam was ok. His fingers brushed against Sam’s wrist and Gabriel’s eyes flew open. He jerked his hand back like he had been burned. 

 

“Gabe, wha’?” 

 

“Loki.” Gabriel muttered darkly. And with that, Sam’s memories of the meeting came crashing back down.

 

“Gabe, he helped me! He woke me up and gave me enough strength to find my way back. If it wasn't for him, I'd still be trapped in my head.” Gabriel sighed.

 

“I know, Sammoose. It's just….this wasn't how I wanted you to find out. I'm so sorry.” The Archangel looked utterly dejected. He withdrew in on himself, mentally bracing for rejection. But instead of drawing away, Sam pulled him even closer.

 

“Silly Angel, haven't you realized yet that there isn't a single piece of you that I don't love? So you’ve got an alter ego, who cares? My brother was a demon at one point and a vampire at another and is married to an Angel. I spent a year wandering around without a soul. I have  _ demon blood _ in me. This family is already dysfunctional as all Hell, what's one more thing? I love  _ you _ , you idiot, and if that means that Loki is part of the package, then I guess in addition to being bi, I'm a polygamist, too.”

 

Gabriel stared at his boyfriend, slackjawed. His heart thudded painfully in his chest and tears threatened in the corners of his eyes.

 

“Oh Sammy…” he buried his face in Sam’s shoulder and openly wept. Sam held him through it, stroking his hair. When Gabriel’s sobs turned to sniffles and eventually stopped, he peered up at his boyfriend sheepishly. He swiped at his eyes with the corner of his blanket.

 

“ ‘m sorry, babe. I didn't mean to blubber all over you.” Sam cut him off with a soft kiss.

 

“Hey, don't ever apologise for something like that. It’s ok. I love you, Gabe.” Gabriel chuckled softly.

 

“What did I ever do to deserve you, kiddo? So, you're really ok with this? Loki isn't quite an alter ego, more like the flip side of the coin. He’s who I had to become in order to hide amongst the Pagans.” 

 

Sam nodded. “Yeah, I'm ok with him. I promise.” he paused, laughing quietly. Gabriel squinted at him in consternation.

 

“What’s so funny?” He grumbled. Sam stroked his boyfriend’s blond hair again.

 

“The braids were a surprise.” Gabriel flushed bright red and hid his face again.

 

“Oh, no….” he whined, sending Sam off into a fresh bout of giggles. When he finally sobered, he peppered Gabriel’s face with kisses.

 

“I thought you looked hot as hell.” He murmured in the Archangel’s ear, sending a shiver down Gabriel’s spine.

 

“Really?” Gabriel arched an eyebrow disbelievingly. Sam smirked.

 

“Fuck yes. And that beard…. I wish I could feel it rubbing my thighs raw.” 

 

Gabriel swallowed hard. “Sammy, baby. Neither one of us is in any shape for playtime.” Sam kissed his forehead.

 

“Fine, fine. But I reserve the right to pick this up at a later date.” 

 

Gabriel grinned up at him. “That’s a promise, love.” By the time Dean returned with Castiel in tow, their brothers were fast asleep, wrapped up in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand Loki makes an apperance! He didn't get nearly enough screen time, in my opinion.


	13. Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me

It took almost two full days for Castiel to deem the pair strong enough to make the trip back to the bunker. He outright refused to carry them there, stating that he questioned the stability of Gabriel’s Grace. It was a testament to just how exhausted the Archangel was when he agreed without kicking up a fuss. Sam and Gabriel spent the vast majority of the drive stretched out across the back seat with Gabriel laying on Sam’s chest in blatant disregard of seatbelt laws.

 

Dean eyed the sleeping pair in amusement and reached across the seat to take Castiel’s hand. The rest of the ride home was very peaceful, with the sole exception being Sam slipping into the beginnings of a nightmare. But before Dean even had time to realize what was going on, Gabriel had roused just enough to soothe his whimpering boyfriend. Sam instantly calmed under the Archangel’s touch, fading back into sleep with a small smile on his lips.

 

Gabriel mirrored his boyfriend’s content smile as he settled back down against Sam’s chest. Under his ear, he could hear Sam’s steady heartbeat. Beyond that was the steady rumble of the Winchester’s beloved Baby. Just a couple of feet away, his favorite brother was humming along to a Bryan Adams song on the radio. Dean was tapping his thumb on the steering wheel in time with the drummer.

 

Castiel seemed to notice Gabriel’s attention and gave his elder brother the Grace equivalent of a reassuring hug. Gabriel returned it, very nearly tearing up when Cas gently led him along the bond he shared with Dean, allowing the Archangel to feel the utter contentment and peace radiating from his mate. Gabriel sighed happily and allowed himself to lulled back to sleep. 

 

Several hours later, the dozing pair were rousted by Dean gently shaking Gabriel’s shoulder. 

 

“Come on, guys. We’re home.” Sam blinked owlishly and stretched as well as he could in the back seat. Gabriel grinned softly. Yes, this  _ was _ home- not Heaven, not Asgard, but this sprawling, dusty underground bunker in Lebanon, Kansas. Very nearly every being in existence that he gave a damn about resided here. He eased off of Sam’s chest and got out of the car, stretching his wings as far as they would go. Sam crawled out after him, twisting left and right to pop his back and relieve some of the tension from being cramped in the back seat for so long. 

 

By mutual agreement, the exhausted couples split up to get some much needed rest. Sam was all too happy to haul his boyfriend back into a bed, but Gabriel insisted that they  _ actual _ rest. The human tried to put up a fuss, he really, truly did. However, the instant his head hit his favorite pillow, Sam was out cold again. Gabriel shook his head in amusement and snapped Sam’s clothes into pyjamas, tucked his boyfriend under the covers, and settled in to keep watch.

 

An indeterminate amount of time later, Sam clawed his way back to consciousness. He buried his nose in Gabriel’s hair, snuffling playfully. Gabriel made a mildly annoyed noise and swatted at him, not willing to admit that he was awake just yet. Sam chuckled against his hair.

 

“Good morning, babe.” Gabriel fumbled blindly until he could press his fingers against Sam’s lips.

 

“Shh, shhh, shhhhh…. Still sleepin’.” The Archangel mumbled. Sam chuckled and cuddled the bleary Angel against his chest. Gabriel burrowed in, purring like some sort of oversized, winged cat. Sam lipped at Gabriel’s ear teasingly, earning a soft groan. Encouraged, Sam nibbled his way to Gabriel’s throat. He paused to suck a hickey right above where the angel’s shirt collar would sit. Gabriel still stubbornly refused to admit that he was awake. 

 

The human took advantage of the Archangel’s bleary state to gently guide his arms up over his head, pinning them in place with one large hand. He propped himself up on his elbow and traced his free hand down his angel’s bare forearm, directly over the spot where he had glimpsed Loki’s tattoos. Gabriel’s eyes finally popped open and locked onto the caressing fingers, then snapped up to Sam’s wistful expression.

 

“Hey, kiddo. You know all you have to do is ask, right? I won’t hide anything from you, not ever again.” He murmured. Sam’s eyes went dinner-plate wide and he visibly clamped down on his excitement.

 

“Please?” Sam breathed, eyes shining with some mix of adoration and disbelief. Gabriel kissed him softly and pressed their foreheads together. 

 

“Close your eyes, babe.” The hazel eyes above him snapped shut, their owner shaking slightly in anticipation. Gabriel turned his focus inward, delving deep into his Grace until he found the place where Loki slumbered, locked away for years. He mentally opened the lock that held the Norse God in check. Loki’s presence seemed to blink slowly, his consciousness bleary and unfocused after so long. Gabriel took a moment to relay his request to the other before letting himself fade into the background where he could watch without interfering. 

 

Loki opened his eyes and gently stretched, reacquainting himself with having a physical body. Sam was still draped over him, his eyes clamped shut. The Trickster smiled and tugged gently at the hand restraining his wrists.

 

“Hey, Sam.” Sam jolted a bit at the change in tone, but still refused to peek. Loki chuckled softly. “You can open your eyes.” Sam sucked in a shuddering breath and obeyed. He stared at the man under him, so familiar and yet not. Gone was Gabriel’s sandy mop, replaced by neat braids that brushed his shoulders. He sported the full beard that Sam was burning to feel on his thighs. Loki’s forearms, still pinned above his head, were covered in a twisting design that Sam couldn’t quite make out. The ink was nearly jet black and had obviously been done by hand with a single needle. Sam let his gaze drop lower and realized the tattoo on Loki’s left arm in fact stretched all the way up over his shoulder and disappeared towards his back. Directly over his heart, the Trickster had another tattoo, this one of a little girl.

 

Sam bit back the tsunami of questions circling in his head in favor of getting a good look at the God under him, letting go of his wrists in order to scoot down the bed. Loki was rather hairer than Gabriel, with downy blond fur over his chest and down his stomach, which was considerably firmer than the sugar-addicted Archangel’s. Hard, muscular thighs gave way to toned calves. Loki’s right shin bore another tattoo. Sam looked closer and realized that it was a stylized horse made up of celtic knots.

 

The human finally peered up to meet Loki’s eyes for the first time. They were the same whiskey shade that he knew and loved, although they sparkled with a different sort of power than he was accustomed to. The Tricker’s eyebrow was arched in an unspoken challenge, almost daring Sam to run in terror. Sam returned the defiant stare until Loki broke into a true smile.

 

“You ok, kid?” He asked, hesitantly reaching to cup Sam’s cheek but stopping just short. Regardless of Sam’s relationship with Gabriel, deep in his chest, Loki feared the rejection of his chosen mate. To his utter relief, Sam leaned into his palm, closing the gap. 

 

“Yeah, I’m good. Thank you for saving me, Loki.” The Trickster shot him a crooked grin.

 

“I couldn’t very well let you die like that. I….we….you mean a lot to us, Sam.” Loki stumbled over the correct verbage, causing Sam to stifle a laugh. Loki glared at him with no real heat.

 

“Hey, this is harder than it looks! Let’s see  _ you _ be two people at once.” He gently cuffed Sam upside the head.

 

“I can’t get over how different you look. It’s not a bad thing, just different! Good different!” Sam hurriedly spit out when Loki had started to look hurt. Sam brushed the tattoo on Loki’s left arm. “What do they mean?” 

 

Loki’s expression softened immediately, taking on a nostalgic air. “My children.” Sam’s eyebrows made a valiant attempt at vanishing into his hairline. 

 

“You had kids?” He blurted out before he could stop himself. Loki nodded.

 

“Fenrir, my eldest son. He was fierce and brave.” He touched the tattoo on his right forearm. Sam leaned closer to get a better look. The knots made up the form of a snarling wolf. Loki moved to sit up, and Sam shifted to sit beside him. 

 

“Jormungand, the World Serpent. Smarter than I, and more cunning than anyone I have ever known.” He twisted so that Sam could see his back. As Sam tracked the tattoo from Loki’s left forearm, he realized that the snake arched over his shoulder, cut across to his right hip, and then spiraled all the way down his leg to his ankle.

 

Loki touched his other calf. “Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse. Odin himself rode him into battle.” Loki hesitated before touching the little girl on his chest.

 

“My baby girl, Hel.” He said no more, but Sam could feel the sadness and pain radiating off of him. Without hesitating, the young man hauled Loki into his arms as he would Gabriel. 

 

“They’re beautiful, Loki.” He murmured against the braids. Loki smiled softly.

 

“Thank you, Sam. I believe that you would have liked them. What trickled down through Norse mythology unfortunately got twisted and warped until their stories are hardly recognizable.” Sam stroked the smaller being’s hair before dipping down to kiss him. It was reminiscent of the kiss after his first date with Gabriel: soft, hesitant, and chaste, but with  _ so _ much promise behind it. 

 

“Sam….” Loki breathed against him, and Sam took advantage of Loki’s parted lips to dip his tongue into the Trickster’s mouth. Loki groaned low in his throat and tangled his fingers into Sam’s long hair, deepening the kiss. Loki devoured his mouth and traced his hands up and down Sam’s body, touching every inch of skin that he could reach. Sam willingly yielded under the onslaught and let Loki press him down to the mattress. The Trickster broke the kiss to work his way down the arch of Sam’s neck. Sam rolled his head to the side, unconsciously submitting to the powerful being above him. Loki’s breath left him in a punched out gasp at the display and he lapped at Sam’s jugular. He bit firmly, leaving divots pressed into the delicate flesh. 

 

“ **_Mine_ ** .” Loki growled, punctuating the possessive statement with a tug at Sam’s hair and a roll of his hips.

 

“Yes…..” Sam hissed. “Yours, Loki.” Loki buried his face against Sam’s shoulder, breathing hard while he clamped down on the urge to take the human then and there.

 

“You have not bonded with Gabriel yet.” It wasn’t a question. Sam made a confused noise. Loki’s head snapped up and he stared down at the human in consternation. 

 

“Please tell me he has at least brought it up with you.” Sam shook his head and Loki snarled softly, slapping the bed beside him in frustration. He pushed himself up and moved to lay beside the human.

 

“Loki, what’s wrong?” Sam’s expression was morphing into confused and hurt Puppy Eyes. Loki caressed his cheek.

 

“Samuel, my  _ hjarta,  _ I can’t bond with you unless Gabriel already has. He is the original source of my power, so in the end, I’m not as strong as he is.” Sam cocked his head in that confused manner as he tried to puzzle out what Loki meant.

 

“Bond...you mean, you want me to be your mate, like Dean and Cas?” Loki nodded, half afraid to meet Sam’s eyes. But he was a warrior to his core, and he refused to let himself shrink in on himself under Sam’s gaze.

 

“Yes, Sam. That’s exactly what I mean.” Sam broke into a mile-wide grin and surged forward, capturing Loki’s lips in another kiss.

 

“Yes!” The human broke away long enough to grin, then dove back into the kiss with an enthusiasm that would have made Loki laugh if his brain hadn’t just completely fried and his heart wasn’t trying to jump out of his chest. He pushed at Sam’s shoulders until the young man drew back again.

 

“Sam, you’re serious?” He choked out, hardly daring to breathe. Sam nodded enthusiastically. 

 

“Yes, you idiot! You’re both idiots! I’ve been hoping you’d ask ever since Gabe explained what Cas and Dean’s bond meant!” Loki pulled Sam into a crushing hug and pressed his lips to his boyfriend’s forehead. 

 

“You’ll have to wait for Gabriel to start the bond before I can join it,  _ hjarta,  _ but you have no idea how happy you just made me.” The ancient being whispered against Sam’s unruly hair before capturing his lips in a possessive kiss. Sam hummed appreciatively and let Loki take control. A shudder tore through him at how utterly dominant Loki was being. It made some part of him (a part that he would examine much closer at a later time) want to roll over and let Loki completely control him. 

 

Loki broke away from his lips in favor of retracing his earlier path down Sam’s throat, pausing to again bite at the jugular vein. 

 

“Mine, mine, mine.” The Norseman growled, nipping bruises into Sam’s skin. Sam let himself utterly relax under the possessive creature above him. 

 

“I’m all yours, Loki. Heart, body, and soul.” He breathed, watching in awe as Loki’s head snapped up to meet his gaze. The Trickster’s eyes were glowing amber. 

 

“Not soul just yet, kiddo. But you will be soon, that I promise you. For now, I’ll settle for ‘body’.” He growled, voice dropping another octave. Sam shivered. “I’m going to claim you in the only way that I can right now, Sam. Will you let me?” Sam answered by kissing him deeply. Loki teased his tongue into Sam’s mouth, mapping it out as though for the first time. Sam moaned and ran his hand through the Trickster’s long braids, fighting the urge to tug them. 

 

The Norse God nuzzled against Sam’s neck. “I’m going to take good care of you, my  _ hjarta…  _ I promise. I’m going to worship every inch of you, and then I’m going to take you. I’ll bring you to such heights that you’ll forget your own name.” Loki breathed hotly against the shell of Sam’s ear. Sam didn’t even bother to fight the full-body shudder that tore through him, nor how hard his cock jerked. Loki smiled wickedly against his skin and set about doing exactly what he had promised. He slowly worked his way down Sam’s body, his questing tongue and fingers touching and caressing every square inch of muscled and scarred flesh that he came across. He spent long minutes lavishing attention on Sam’s nipples, teasing them to hard peaks before blowing cool air across them just to watch Sam jump. He inched his way to Sam’s abs, which he kissed individually, then dipped his tongue into Sam’s belly button. Sam squirmed at the tickling sensation but otherwise continued to utterly give himself over to Loki.

 

Loki nuzzled and teased his boyfriend’s achingly hard cock, flicking his tongue out to taste the precum that was steadily leaking from the slit. But instead of settling down to blow him properly, the Trickster continued to torment Sam with kitten licks and soft caresses until the younger man was incoherent with lust. Loki mouthed at his shaft and balls, intent on reducing Sam to begging. He didn’t have to wait long.

 

“Loki, please… oh fuck, please! I can’t take it any more!” Sam choked out, trailing off into a broken whine when Loki ghosted his fingers over his perineum. 

 

“‘Please’ what, my  _ hjarta?” _ Loki asked with an infuriating grin.

 

“Dammit, I need you inside me  _ now _ , Loki!” Loki tsked. 

 

“Be patient, lover. These things can’t be rushed.” He smirked. He knew as well as Sam did that a single snap could have Sam ready, but he was, after all, the Trickster. Sam snagged a handful of braids and yanked Loki up, earning an angry growl.

 

“Fuck. Me.” He growled in the Trickster’s face. Loki manhandled Sam over onto his chest, laying flat on the mattress. He kicked the human’s legs apart and settled between them, one hand firmly pressing Sam to the bed. 

 

“No, Sam. I’m going to make you mine.” His free hand teased at Sam’s hole, a combination of conjured lube and mojo making it far easier to jump straight to three fingers than it should have been. Sam hissed at the intrusion and tried to get up onto all fours, but Loki pressed him back down.

 

“Lay still, kid. You wanted me to claim you, and I’m going to.” He twisted his fingers to press firmly against Sam’s prostate, dragging another broken groan from the human. He withdrew his fingers and wiped them on the blanket before capturing Sam’s hands and pinning them above his head in a mirror of how Sam had held him before. His free hand went to his own cock to help guide it. He nudged Sam’s thighs a bit further apart as he slowly sank home. 

 

Sam hissed in surprised pleasure as the unfamiliar angle allowed Loki to saw across his prostate. When he bottomed out, Loki brought his other hand up to tangle with Sam’s fingers. He pressed his lips to the human’s shoulder and breathed in his ear. 

 

“This is how I claim the man I love, Sam- you. Only you. Always you. You’re mine, you hear me?  **_Mine._ ** You’re going to be my mate. Mine forever.” He kept up the litany as he slowly drove into the man under him. He let himself rest entirely against Sam’s back, pressed together from their toes all the way to their fingers. 

 

Sam was utterly lost in the sensations coursing through his body. Loki’s constant stream of love and possession filled his ears, making his heart ache and tears sting at the corners of his eyes as the Trickster slowly took him. He was utterly helpless under the much stronger being, and he couldn’t quite believe how much he loved it. The slow rocking motion was causing his own neglected dick to grind against the sheets, and the dry friction was a delicious counterpoint to the slick glide of Loki’s cock on his prostate. Sam tried to hold out, he truly did, but the overwhelming amount of sensation was slowly but steadily driving him to the edge. He came with a broken cry, gasping Loki’s name as he arched his neck and writhed under the Norse God. A heartbeat later, Loki followed him. He sunk his teeth into Sam’s shoulder as he shuddered and released deep into Sam.

 

Loki was loathe to move as he came down from the incredible high of having claimed his future mate for the first time. He rested his sweaty forehead against Sam’s back, gasping for breath. Under him, Sam had gone completely boneless as he tried to catch his breath. Loki let his weight rest fully on the human, knowing Sam could support him without difficulty. They lay there basking in the afterglow until their damp skin cooled and Loki eventually went soft enough to slip out. He regretfully rolled to the side, only to be gathered up in Sam’s arms. Sam kissed him, soft and sweet.

 

“I love you, Loki.” He said between kisses. Loki beamed at him.

 

“I love you too,  _ hjarta.”  _ Sam cocked his head.

 

“You keep calling me that. What does it mean?” Loki chuckled. 

 

“It’s an old, old,  _ old _ Norse word. It means something akin to ‘my love’ or ‘dearheart’.” Sam twined their hands together over Loki’s heart. 

 

“I like it.” Sam yawned, and Loki kissed his eyelids closed. 

 

“Sleep, Sammy.”


	14. Iris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The author regrets nooooothing!! *flounces off*

When Sam woke up, it was to Gabriel’s smiling face and tender caress. The Archangel was gently playing with his hair, and Sam hummed appreciatively as he leaned into the touch. Gabriel kissed him softly.

 

“Good mornin’, Sammoose.” Sam chuckled and propped himself up on one elbow. He rubbed his nose against Gabriel’s in a sappy gesture that would have made Dean gag. Gabriel crinkled his nose in amusement.

 

“Hey, Gabe.” He drew his Angel in for a playful kiss, and if Gabriel objected to his morning-stale breath, he didn’t comment. Gabriel cupped Sam’s face in both hands and returned the kiss, trying to pour every ounce of incredulous joy that he was feeling into it. He almost couldn’t believe how well Sam’s first true encounter with Loki had gone, and was mentally doing cartwheels over the revelation that Sam wanted to bond with both of them. The very thought had his heart hammering in his chest.

 

Finally, the Archangel pulled away just enough that he could speak, although he was still sharing breath with the younger Winchester. He met Sam’s eyes and drew in a shaky breath, summoning every ounce of courage that he could. 

 

“Sam, did you really mean it? Will you accept me as your mate? Me and Loki both?” Sam twined their fingers together and brought Gabriel’s palm up to kiss it.

 

“Of course, Gabe.” Gabriel’s heart soared and he tackled Sam to the bed, peppering the human’s face with kisses.

 

“I love you so damned much, kiddo. And I promise, I’ll spend eternity proving it to you.” Sam pressed a finger to Gabriel’s lips, silencing him.

 

“On one condition. Stay right there, ok? I’ll be back in a second.” The human hopped up and darted out of the room, leaving an increasingly confused and worried Archangel in his wake. Gabriel fidgeted nervously, twiddling his thumbs and flexing his wings nervously from where they were hidden in a pocket dimension. As the minutes crept by, his agitation increased and his thoughts started to spiral out of control, anxiety creeping up on him and whispering cruel things in the back of his mind about how he was useless, a coward, weak, and didn’t deserve Sam. 

 

Thankfully, Sam came trotting back into the room before that nasty little voice could well and truly send Gabriel into a panic. The human was grinning in a very mysterious, Sphinx-like way. He took both of Gabriel’s hands.

 

“Gabe, if I picture a place in my mind, can you take us there?” Gabriel nodded, although he was very confused. He gently probed into Sam’s head, and slowly the image coalesced. The Angel snapped, and pair were suddenly halfway across the world. Gabriel peered around, his confusion growing until he placed where they were. Sam had brought them to the very top of the Eiffel Tower. The sun was setting, painting all of Paris with an otherworldly hue. Sam tugged at his hand, pulling him through the crowd to the very edge of the balcony until they were right up against the rail. 

 

The human drew in a deep breath as though steeling himself. He stepped right into Gabriel’s personal space and held the Angel’s left hand against his own chest, still smiling in that ‘I have a secret’ way. With his free hand, he tilted Gabriel’s chin up so he was forced to look directly into Sam’s eyes. What he saw there took Gabriel’s breath away. Sam was smiling down at him with the most tender and adoring expression that the Archangel had ever seen in all his long years. But what absolutely floored Gabriel was when Sam started to speak in stumbling Enochian.

 

“Gabriel… My love, my light. You are my best friend, my brother-in-arms, and the love of my life. You are my sense of fun, reminding me to laugh when I try to take life too seriously. You are my guardian, keeping me safe despite everything we face. You are my first thought in the morning, the name in my mind when I fall asleep, and the center of my most cherished dreams. There isn’t a single aspect of you that I don’t adore. I cannot imagine another day in my life without you by my side. Will you marry me?” Sam produced a silver band from his pocket with shaking hands. 

 

Gabriel was speechless. His heart felt like it might explode in his chest and his brain had utterly fizzled out, overwhelmed by the man in front of him. Instead of trying to fumble for words, he grabbed Sam by the collar and pulled him down for a searing kiss. When he pulled away, both of them had damp faces. 

 

Sam chuckled softly. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’?” He asked, and Gabriel nodded, still far too choked up to try to speak. Sam gave him an earsplitting grin and slid the band onto Gabriel’s ring finger. The crowd around them erupted into cheers and yells of congratulations as the couple embraced. The Archangel took a moment to study the ring that had just become his most cherished possession. 

 

“Is this…..?” He trailed off in disbelief. Sam nodded against Gabriel’s hair.

 

“That’s mom’s ring. Dean’s had it all these years, but he always said I could have it if I ever found someone special.” Gabriel crushed his mate to him. 

 

“I love you so much, Sam Winchester. I can’t even begin to tell you, but I swear I’m going to make an attempt at showing you the second we’re alone.” He growled against Sam’s ear, earning a shiver in response. 

 

“Take me home, mate.” Sam murmured back, sending a thrill down Gabriel’s spine at the term. In a click and a flash, they were sprawled in an ungraceful heap across Sam’s bed. The human laughed at the less than stellar landing.

 

“Too wound up to fly straight?” He joked. Gabriel slapped him on the arm for the sass. 

 

“I’ll show you wound up, Sam-a-lam.” He grumbled and pounced on the young man. Once he was settled astride Sam’s hips, he caught his mate’s eyes.

 

“Sam, will you consent to be my bondmate?” He asked, his voice tinged with a little desperation. Sam seemed to recognise the importance of the question.

 

“Yes, Gabriel. I consent.” He said firmly. Gabriel lunged forward to capture Sam’s lips in a desperate kiss, his hands going to fumble with the buttons of Sam’s shirt. After only a couple of heartbeats, the Archangel became impatient and simply ripped the shirt from hem to collar. Rather than complain about the destruction of one of his favorite shirts, Sam bucked upwards to gain some friction on his suddenly aching cock. A small voice in the back of his mind pointed out just how much he seemed to enjoy being dominated, but Sam ignored it in favor of hauling his undershirt off over his head.

 

Gabriel attacked the expanse of exposed skin with his lips and teeth, leaving bite marks and hickies in his wake and reducing Sam to a whimpering mass of nerve endings in short order. He drew back just long enough to shed his own shirt and strip out of his pants and boxers in one go, snarling in frustration when they inevitably got hung up on his boots. Just as he was about to snap the clothes away, Sam captured his hands. He turned both of them palms up and pressed kisses to the soft skin he found there, then kissed each fingertip in turn. With a teasing smirk, he suckled at Gabriel’s middle finger, slowly drawing the digit into his mouth. Gabriel groaned deep in his throat at the display, his cock throbbing painfully. 

 

Sam slowly drew away and scootched down to Gabriel’s feet and helped him out of his boots, then disentangled him from the tangle of jeans and boxers. He met Gabriel’s eyes and they both laughed at the absurdity of it. As the giggles died down, the Archangel rose up onto his knees to meet Sam. He drew the young man close and kissed him again, this time soft and sweet. He helped Sam out of the last of his clothes in turn and ran his fingers down Sam’s sides reverently.  

 

“Last chance to back out, Sam.” The Archangel’s expression was desperate and open, laying out all of his fears and insecurities for Sam to see. Sam shook his head and cupped Gabriel’s cheek. 

 

“I’m yours, Gabriel. Please….” He trailed off. Gabriel guided them down to the mattress again, laying Sam on his back and sitting across the human’s knees. He stroked Sam’s hardened cock languidly with one hand, the other guiding Sam’s fingers back towards the Archangel’s furled hole. Sam obligingly teased at it with one finger, but he shot Gabriel a somewhat puzzled look.

 

“What is it, babe?” Gabe asked, twisting his wrist slightly on the upstroke in a way that he knew drove Sam wild. The human bucked under him.

 

“I sorta thought that you would have to be the one topping.” Sam’s cheeks turned a little pink. 

 

“It doesn’t matter either way, but I need room for my wings, and I love feeling you inside me.” Sam nodded in understanding and began prepping Gabriel in earnest, aided by the Archangel’s incredibly handy mojo-lube. Gabriel let himself simply enjoy the pleasurable thrill that went through him like lightning as Sam unerringly found his prostate and crooked his fingers into it. Sam had gotten frighteningly good at making the Angel lose control, and it only took a few minutes before Gabriel had to tug Sam’s hand away. The hand on Sam’s cock went to his own, digging the heel of his palm into the tender flesh in an effort to regain some control.

 

Once his breathing evened out a bit, Gabriel shifted to position the head of Sam’s cock against his entrance. He slowly bore down, not stopping until Sam’s impressive length was sheathed to the hilt inside him. Both of them drew a shuddering breath as Gabriel began to move. He slowly rocked back and forth, grinding Sam’s shaft against his prostate again.

 

“Babe, whatever you feel, just go with it. There’s no right or wrong way to go about this, ok?” He murmured between languid kisses. Sam nodded, his hands falling to Gabriel’s hips to help guide him. The pair rocked together slowly, letting the heat build at an almost glacial pace. Gabriel let his Grace spread out and unfurled his wings from their hiding place, wrapping them around them both, and Sam instantly pushed himself up to bury his fingers in the golden feathers. He caressed up and down every inch of the incredible wings that he could reach, drawing a beautiful series of moans and choked curses from his mate.

 

Together, they spiraled up and up as the heat built. For the first time since the misadventure at the hotel, Gabriel allowed his Grace to envelope and cradle Sam’s soul, marveling at the brightness of it despite the tarnish of demon blood and a lifetime of pain. The soul sang in response to the tender caress, reaching out to meet him. The human moaned in surprise at the unexpected sensation and let himself drown in the warmth of Gabriel’s Grace. He pressed himself up and made use of his incredible strength to get up to his knees, forcing Gabriel to wrap his legs around the human’s torso to stay impaled on his cock. Sam’s hands drifted from the feathers and back to the skin just under his wings, his nails biting in with the effort of holding this position. In turn, Gabriel shifted his hands down to Sam’s waist for balance and to make it easier for Sam to continue thrusting up into his welcoming heat. 

 

Gabriel felt it first, the very beginnings of the Grace bond threading between them. A couple of unchecked tears trickled down his cheeks at the feeling. He could sense the moment that it connected on Sam’s end as every sensation coursing through the human crashed down on the Archangel. Gabriel groaned brokenly and Sam echoed it, each thrust and grind creating a feedback loop of sensation between them that had them drawing bowstring-tight in seconds. Sam dug his fingers into the soft skin under Gabriel’s wings and cried out as his orgasm crashed through him, dragging Gabriel over the edge with him. The moan of pleasure between them jolted for a moment, becoming searing pain for less than a heartbeat. But before Sam could cry out, it was over like it had never happened. 

 

The pair collapsed to the mattress, still joined as Gabriel sprawled on top of his mate. An almost wild giggle bubbled up in his throat at the realization that it was true in every sense of the word- Sam Winchester  _ was _ his mate, and they both bore the marks to prove it. His Grace sang in triumph and joy, and Sam’s soul joined in, sending pure joy through the bond. Gabriel clutched his mate close and let everything he was feeling flood back through to Sam: joy, relief, a touch of disbelief, and so much love that it took the human’s breath away. 

 

Sam stroked up and down Gabriel’s back as his wings faded from view, pausing when they encountered two patches of raised flesh that had not been there previously. He sat up to get a better look, slipping from Gabriel’s body in the process. There, right under where Gabriel’s true wings sat, were two handprints. Gabriel grinned at him, quite pleased by the location of his bond mark. 

 

“Oh, wow…” Sam breathed, touching the marks again. This time, a current of heat passed through them at the touch and they both shivered. Sam cocked his head to one side, and Gabriel sensed the pulse of confusion and curiosity through their bond. He laughed softly. 

 

“Check the mirror, kiddo.” Sam eagerly hopped up and trotted over to his mirror. When he turned to see his back, shock, amusement, and chagrin echoed through the bond towards the giggling Archangel. There, squarely on each ass cheek, were a pair of Gabriel-sized handprints.

  
“Dammit, Gabe!” Sam launched himself at his mate and tackled him to the pillows, laughing right along with him.


	15. Never Gonna Give You Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, I've been on a roll this week. Y'all check out this adorable fan art of Loki and Gabe by Evalyne! http://archiveofourown.org/works/7481202 I got fanart! *flailing*

In retrospect, Gabriel should have suspected that something was going on behind his back. There were just too many little signs, too many things that didn't quite add up. Secretive grins between the Winchester brothers, small, knowing smirks from Castiel, and hushed conversations that ended abruptly when Gabriel came too close. But the Archangel was oblivious and too caught up in revealing in joy he felt whenever he thought about the bond he now had with the younger Winchester brother. 

 

Sam and Gabriel had been bonded for six months when it happened. Dean and the Archangel had started up another prank war, although this one was much tamer and less mean-spirited than the previous one, with the jokes restrained to simple things like whoopee cushions and a Lifesaver candy jammed into a showerhead to make the showerer even more sticky and gross than when they had started. It was Dean’s turn to pull a prank, but the human was nowhere in sight, so Gabriel decided to take the opportunity to lay out in the grass and sun his wings. 

 

He was just dozing off when it happened. Out of absolutely nowhere, a whole barrage of water balloons appeared and doused the snoozing Archangel, wings and all. Gabriel leapt up with an indignant squawk and whirled around in a circle in search of his assailant, but instead of the elder Winchester, his eyes fell on his own mate who was collapsed on the ground, holding his stomach and howling with laughter. It took several stunned moments for Gabriel to realize that Sam was standing just outside the bunker, thirty or forty feet away. There was literally no way he had thrown all those balloons at once, let alone that far. 

 

Still dripping wet, Gabriel stalked closer to his cackling mate. He froze when he realized that both Dean and Castiel had appeared in the doorway, drawn by Sam’s peals of laughter. When the other couple took in the scene, Dean joined Sam on the ground, leaning against his baby brother and laughing so hard that tears streamed down his cheeks. Gabriel gave an offended huff and looked at Castiel for an explanation or backup, but the younger Angel dropped to the ground beside Dean and leaned across his mate to high-five Sam! 

 

Gabriel was well and truly wounded by this point. He was drenched, there were bits of latex balloon in his hair and wings, all three of his flockmates were laughing at him, and he  _ still _ couldn’t figure out what had just happened. There were no trees above him, so the Winchesters couldn't have rigged something to drop all those balloons on him, and Cas had been in the bunker so he hadn’t flown them overhead. So, the Archerald of the Lord did the only thing he could think of- he fixed Sam with his very best “betrayed puppy” look, quivering bottom lip and all. That look had  _ always _ worked in the past! 

 

He was sadly disappointed. Sam took one look at his pout and flopped over backwards, gasping for air. Dean was laughing in that silent ‘I can’t breathe well enough to make noise’ way, and even Cas was chortling. 

 

“Fuck all of you, and whoever you got to drench me.” Gabriel growled and stalked past them and straight into the bunker, looking like nothing so much as a wet and angry cat. Behind him, he heard Sam call after him but he just kept going, straight to the bathroom to pick all the bits of rubber out of his wings.  Sam followed him and wrapped his irritated mate up in a massive bear hug. Gabriel sullenly refused to return the hug, but Sam had a lifetime of experience with people who got cranky when they were the butt of the joke. He peppered the glowering Archangel’s cheeks with kisses until Gabriel finally relented.

 

“Ok, who did you get to drench me? If it was Balthazar, I swear I’m going to hex his wings with that pink shit Dean came up with.” Sam shook his head, still chuckling. The human started picking the balloon bits out of Gabriel’s mop of hair for him. Gabriel made a slightly confused noise.

 

“Not Balthy, huh? Inias? He always had a warped sense of humor and no sense of self-preservation.” Sam laughed and shook his head again. Gabriel kept naming names while Sam cleaned his wings, but finally admitted that he was stumped.

 

“Wait, tell me it wasn’t your little demon friend….what was his name? Crabby? Crobby?” 

 

“Crowley? No, I don’t think he would sink to the level of a prank war. Besides, he’s busy running Hell, with Lucifer gone.” Sam was just about done cleaning up the last of the balloon carnage.

 

“Then  _ who?” _ Gabriel asked, his confusion and growing annoyance radiating across the bond to Sam. Sam gave him that Sphynx-grin that Gabriel had come to realize meant Sam was about to drop a bombshell on him. He mentally braced himself.

 

All the mental bracing in the world couldn’t stop his very unmanly shriek when Sam stretched his hand out towards the pile of balloon chunks and twisted, causing the rubber bits to rise up off the floor and spin rapidly, melting into a multi-colored ball. At the same time, Gabriel felt a small but distinct dip in his Grace. He whirled around to face his mate, mouth gaping like a fish.

 

“What....I... _ HOW?!” _ Sam let the ball drop and patted his Angel’s hair.

 

“It turns out that our bond came with some side benefits. You know how Azazel fed me his blood as a baby, and that gave me my psychic powers? It seems that those powers were actually a latent ability in our bloodline, and his taint just reactivated it. I thought it was gone for good when you burned the demon blood out of me. But after we bonded, stuff started happening again. I’d reach for something without looking and it would move towards me. My reflexes have gotten better, and I’m even stronger than before. Cas realized that I was unconsciously accessing a bit of your Grace and it’s been fueling the powers. From there, he started teaching me how to use it deliberately.” He paused. Gabriel was pouting again, looking very put out and hurt.

 

“When were you planning on telling me? Why am I the last one to find out?” He asked quietly. Sam brushed the Angel’s hair out of his face and tilted his chin up.

 

“Gabe, please don’t take it like that. I wanted to wait until I had a good grip on it to tell you. I wanted you to be proud of me. And then Dean caught on...at first, he was so mad. He thought I’d been drinking demon blood again. Remember that massive fight we had about three months back?” Gabriel nodded slowly. “That’s what it was about. Cas and I had to let him in on it to keep him from throwing a hissyfit.” The Archangel sighed and leaned against Sam’s shoulder.

 

“Sammy, I  _ am _ proud of you. There aren’t many humans that could manage to learn to do what you did. But I wish you had let  _ me _ teach you. I’m your mate. And showing me by dropping water balloons on me? That’s just cold, babe.” Sam kissed his forehead.

 

“Yeah, but you should have seen your face! It was just too priceless to resist. And in my defense, it was actually Castiel’s idea.” Gabriel’s eyebrows shot up and he gave a startled laugh.

 

“Little Cassie actually instigated a prank? Oh kiddo, you’re completely forgiven! I’ve been trying for over a billion years to get him to lighten up and have some fun, and you went and pulled it off in just a few months! You’re a genius!” He hauled his mate down for a damp but enthusiastic kiss. Sam stroked up and down his still dripping wings and grimaced.

 

“How about I make it up to you with a good grooming? We can go sit in the sun and I’ll fix your wings up.” Gabriel purred against his chest.

 

“That, Samsquatch, is the best idea I’ve heard all day.”

 

Later that evening, long after Dean and Cas had bid them goodnight and traipsed into the bunker, Sam and Gabriel were still laying out in the grass. Gabriel’s wings shimmered in the moonlight, a testament to exactly how much effort Sam had put into tidying up his mate’s feathers. After watching them for a few minutes, Castiel had unceremoniously plopped down in front of Dean with his inky black wings out, obviously expecting the same treatment. Although it had felt a little awkward at first, Sam and Dean had eventually settled in to preen their respective angels. Gabriel had been right, Sam reflected. The angels responded to mutual grooming much differently than to teasing play in the bedroom. Castiel had actually fallen asleep for a while, snoring softly while his elder brother looked on with an indulgent smile. 

 

Sam pulled his angel to his chest and kissed his forehead in the darkness. He gently brushed against the bond in his mind.

 

_ I love you, Gabriel _ he thought at his mate. Across the bond, the Archangel chuckled.

 

_ I love you too, kiddo. But no more crazy bombshells for a while, ok? I don’t think I could handle it if you announced that you’re pregnant or something.  _ Sam made a choking noise.

 

“What?!” He hissed as soon as he caught his breath. Gabriel laughed louder.

 

“Easy, Sam-a-lam. It was just a joke.” Sam huffed a relieved sigh and popped the Archangel on the shoulder.

 

“Don’t do that shit to me. I’ve seen you warp reality enough to turn me into a car. I wouldn’t put it past you to find a way to knock me up.” Gabriel was still snickering.

 

“Oh Sammy, we’re not even married yet and you’re talking kids. Let me make an honest man out of you first, then we can adopt all the orphans or puppies or whatever that your little heart desires.” Sam snorted.

 

“Dean would kill us if we brought home a dog.” Gabriel pouted a little. “And kids are a lot of work, you know. I think I’d rather stick to practicing the whole ‘making a kid’ thing.” The human wiggled his eyebrows in imitation of the Trickster’s favorite taunting expression. Gabriel burst out laughing.

 

“Kiddo, that was just bad. Leave the jokes to the professionals.” He broke off into a groan when Sam nibbled his bottom lip.

 

“Not a chance, Gabe.” He rolled on top of his mate, pinning the smaller man under him. Gabriel smirked up at him.

 

“Wanting to get some of that ‘practice’ in, babe?” He asked teasingly. Sam chuckled and nuzzled against Gabriel’s neck, nibbling at the angel’s earlobe. 

 

“Always, Gabe.” He ground his hips against Gabriel’s, grinning wider when he felt the Archangel’s cock jerk in response. Gabriel captured his lips in a kiss that was more teeth and tongue than anything else and wrapped his legs around Sam’s hips. With a snap, they were skin-to-skin. Sam shuddered when the cool night air hit his bare ass unexpectedly, goosebumps popping up all along his body. His reproachful glare was met with an unrepentant smirk, which the human quickly decided to kiss off his mate’s lips.

 

They tussled back and forth for a few minutes, nipping love bites into each other’s skin and grinding together like a pair of horny teenagers, until Sam shifted just enough to get his massive hand between them. He wrapped his fingers around both of their lengths, jacking them together. Gabriel shuddered and groaned into Sam’s shoulder. He sucked in a surprised gasp when his Grace dipped almost imperceptibly and suddenly both their cocks and Sam’s hand were coated in a ridiculous amount of lube. The pair were practically swimming in it. The angel burst out laughing.

 

“Harder than it looks, huh babe?” He chortled into Sam’s shoulder as the younger man blushed in embarrassment. Gabriel snapped his fingers softly and most of the lube vanished. The Archangel wormed his own hand between them and laced his fingers with Sam’s, helping to guide him back into easy, languid strokes. Gabriel continued to chuckle, but sent a pulse of love and adoration along their bond so Sam wouldn’t feel like Gabriel was laughing  _ at _ him. Slowly, Sam joined in until they were alternating between giggling and kissing, working together to slowly work each other towards the edge. Gabriel licked and nibbled at Sam’s chest opposite the protective tattoo, marking the skin with little bruises and teeth marks. His lips found Sam’s nipple just as a particularly sweet twist of his wrist brought his human over the edge Sam gasped, painting their stomachs and intertwined fingers white with ropes of cum. Sam’s slow, rolling orgasm echoed through their bond and Gabriel gave in to his own, shuddering and moaning Sam’s name softly as his cum mixed with his mate’s. 

 

Sam pressed their foreheads together as they tried to get their breathing under control. Once he could open his eyes, the younger Winchester made sure that Gabriel’s eyes were locked on his own. With a dark smirk, Sam dipped his fingers into the mess coating their stomachs and brought them to his mouth, slowly licking them clean. Gabriel choked on a breath and his cock jerked, valiantly trying to get hard again.

 

“Holy fuck, Sammy…” Gabriel couldn’t help himself, he leaned and captured Sam’s lips in a filthy kiss. He licked his way into his mate’s mouth, carefully gathering their combined flavor. He only drew back once he was certain that he had gotten it all. Only then did he realize that they were both still naked, laying in the grass and covered in cooling sweat and cum. The Archangel grimaced. 

 

“Hot shower?” He asked. Sam nodded in agreement, and Gabriel popped them off to the bunker shower room.

 

“Goddamn it, haven’t you ever heard of  _ KNOCKING?!?!”  _ Dean howled from where he had Castiel pinned to the wall.

 

“Oh fuck, my eyes!” Gabriel shrieked back and snapped again. 

 


	16. Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok kiddos, some warnings about this chapter. First, there is very very VERY brief consent issues in the beginning but only if you squint. Second, we're getting into some kinky territory. It won't be actively in this chapter, just some kink negotiations. But if that's not your thing, you can skip this chapter and not miss anything even remotely resembling a plot. I won't be offended, I promise. My kink may not be your kink and that's ok!

Dean stormed into the bunker, slamming the door open hard enough to rattle the hinges. Sam was right behind him, radiating fury in a way that suggested that cartoon smoke was about to shoot out of his ears. The elder brother rounded on the younger and shoved at his chest.

 

“What the fuck was that, Sammy?!” He snarled, pushing Sam a step back. Sam closed the distance again, fists balled as if he was about to throw a punch. 

 

“What do you mean ‘what the fuck was that’? Where the fuck were  _ you? _ ” Sam crowded into his brother’s space until they were almost nose to nose. Drawn by the continued shouting and the alarming amount of rage surging through the bond, Gabriel snapped himself into the room just in time to see Sam swing. In less than a heartbeat, Gabriel had his arms wrapped around Sam’s chest from behind. Castiel appeared and grabbed Dean’s shoulder, and both angels popped their mates away before the punch could land. 

 

Gabriel and Sam landed in a tangled heap, cushioned by the wonderfully soft mattress in the master bedroom of Gabriel’s favorite hideaway. If Sam had been in a better state of mind, he would have appreciated wallowing in the unmatched comfort, but he was simply too furious. The human immediately leapt to his feet, eyes searching the room for the subject of his anger. When he realized that Dean wasn’t with them, he started pacing around the room with his fists still balled. Gabriel watched from the relative safety of the bed.

 

“What the hell, Gabriel?” Sam growled at his mate. 

 

“You and Dean were about to kill each other. And as much as I’d love to see Dean taken down a notch or two, I don’t want you doing permanent damage. So, you gonna tell me  what had you two chuckleheads fighting this time?” Sam snarled under his breath and pulled his hair.

 

“I’m so fucking sick of him! I’m nearly thirty, and he still treats me like a little kid! He doesn’t trust me at all!” Gabriel sat up and patted the mattress beside him, encouraging his seething mate to join him. Sam obliged, flopping face-first onto the bed and muffling a scream of anger against the black silky sheets. 

 

“Feeling better, Sammoose?” The Archangel asked softly. Sam shook his head without looking up. Gabriel chuckled softly and stroked Sam’s mop of hair. He leaned down to kiss the back of his mate’s neck. Sam hummed softly and rolled over, capturing the angel in his arms and pinning the smaller being to the bed. Sam captured Gabriel’s wrists and trapped them against the headboard with one hand while he fisted his other hand into his mate’s sandy hair and tugged firmly. Gabriel arched against him with a hiss and Sam took the opportunity to sink his teeth into the exposed column of Gabriel’s throat, leaving an imprint of his teeth behind. 

 

Gabriel’s eyes flew open at the repressed fury he could feel radiating across the bond. “Samshine, hang on….” The human ignored him in favor of wrenching his belt off and using it to bind the Archangel’s wrists to the headboard. “Sammy, listen to me!” Sam growled in frustration and started fumbling with the buttons of Gabriel’s shirt. “Sam,  _ stop!” _

 

Sam froze. Gabriel clicked his fingers and the belt loosened. The angel wrenched his hands free and sat up, rubbing his wrists. Sam reached for him with shaking hands.

 

“Gabe, fuck I’m so sorry!” Gabriel leaned into the embrace and cuddled his mate close.

 

“It’s ok kiddo. You know I’m all for kink, but not like this. Not when you’re so angry. That’s just a recipe for a disaster.” He paused to kiss Sam’s cheek, sending a pulse of love and forgiveness along their bond. Gabriel trailed his fingers down Sam’s chest and hips to toy with his zipper. “How about this- we have some nice, vanilla angry sex, you burn off that ball of frustration I can feel, and then once you’re calmer and more relaxed we revisit the whole kinky thing?” Sam drew in a shuddering breath and nodded.

 

Gabriel smirked and shifted his fingers to grip Sam’s cock through his jeans, drawing a ragged groan from the younger man. Gabriel popped the button and drew the zipper down with one hand and tugged the denim down with the other. Sam arched up to make it easier. Once his pants were stripped off, Gabriel quickly divested the human of his flannel shirt and black undershirt before capturing the human’s lips in a heated kiss. 

 

Sam nipped at Gabriel’s lower lip, worrying it with his teeth. He pulled the Archangel into his lap without breaking the kiss and snapped his fingers in imitation of Gabriel’s favorite gesture. The angel laughed when his clothes vanished, reappearing neatly folded on the dresser. 

 

“You’ve really gotten the hang of that, kiddo.” He said proudly. Sam didn’t reply, preferring to focus on sinking two fingers to the knuckle into Gabriel’s ass. Gabriel bucked and moaned as Sam manipulated the angel’s Grace to allow the rough treatment without pain. Gabriel grinned wickedly.

 

“Come on, kiddo. Get this rodeo started!” He sent a surge of the arousal and desire he felt echoing through their bond and gave choked on a moan when Sam viciously twisted his fingers into the angel’s prostate in retaliation. 

 

“Hands and knees, Angel.” Sam ground out, low and dark. Gabriel complied, but true to his Trickster past, he did so deliberately slowly. Sam sunk his teeth into the meat of Gabriel’s ass, raising a dark bruise. The smaller man whined softly, earning a relatively gentle swat over the new bruise. Sam arched over him, one hand positioning his aching cock against the Archangel’s hole, and let his lips ghost against his mate’s ear.

 

“Oh, you  _ like _ that, don’t you? You like the pain. I bet I could get you off just by spanking that ass until it’s glowing red. Isn’t that right, baby?” The human broke off into a strangled groan when Gabriel slammed back against him, driving his cock home in one quick thrust. 

 

“Less talking, more fucking, kid!” Sam chuckled darkly and pulled back only to slam home as hard as he could, setting a brutal pace that would have had a human screaming in pain. 

 

Sam bit down on Gabriel’s earlobe again. “I love this about being with you. I can fuck you as hard as I possibly can and you just beg for more.” He ground out, his voice gravelly and strained with the effort of keeping up the pace. Gabriel howled when a particularly brutal thrust nailed his prostate dead on. Sam raked his nails down the angel’s spine before planting his palm directly over where Gabriel’s wing joints were, using borrowed Grace to keep them from erupting into the visible plane. The angel bucked wildly under him as Sam hauled them both upright and wrapped his free hand around his mate’s cock, jacking him in rough strokes. It only took a couple of pumps before Gabriel was coming all over himself and Sam’s hand, screaming himself hoarse. Sam sunk his teeth into Gabriel’s shoulder and followed him moments later. 

 

The human pulled away, maintaining the pressure on Gabriel’s shoulder blades until he was safely out of whacking range. The moment he let go, the angel released his wings with a relieved groan. He immediately flexed them, stretching his massive wings to their fullest. The Archangel let himself faceplant the mattress, utterly disregarding the wet spot in front of him. Sam chuckled and sprawled on top of his mate.

 

“Ummmppphhhh…. Sam, get off me. You weigh a ton.” Gabriel grumbled in a voice that sounded like he had been gargling glass. Sam laughed again and tickled the base of a wing, getting an unmanly squeak out of the man under him. 

 

“Come on, you Moose! Knock it off!” The Archangel flailed backwards with the wing that wasn’t under attack, smacking his husband upside the head. Sam rolled clear and barked out another laugh as he captured the offending wing and sank his fingers into the down, tickling even harder. Gabriel outright shrieked and flailed under the assault. He squirmed and wiggled until he fell off the bed, dragging Sam down with him. The pair collapsed to the floor in a tangled heap, laughing and wrestling. When they finally calmed down, Gabriel pressed a kiss to his mate’s forehead.

 

“Feeling better, Samshine?” Sam smiled and returned the affectionate kiss, sending a burst of happiness through the bond. Gabriel returned it with a gentle brush of Grace.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I actually am.” He pressed his forehead to Gabriel’s. 

 

“You want to talk about what set you and Dean at each other’s throats?” Sam shook his head. 

 

“Nah, it’s just stupid shit. I’m sorry I tried to take it out on you.” The human rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Hey, it’s ok. Like I said, I’m  _ all _ for kink. But something like that, we need to talk about beforehand. Set ground rules, safewords, and hard limits. I’m a fully powered Archangel and you’ve got access to my Grace. We could do serious damage if it got out of hand.” Sam sighed and nodded. 

 

“I’m not exactly new to the BDSM world, Gabe. I’m usually a Dominant but I sometimes like to switch. Hard limits for me are choking, breath play of any sort, and cutting. I get choked and sliced up enough as it is. I usually use the stoplight system for safewords.” 

 

Gabe nodded understandingly. “Green is ‘good, keep going’, yellow is ‘slow down, check in’, red is ‘full stop, scene over’?” 

 

“Yeah, and I use orange for ‘scene can continue but stop whatever you’re currently doing’.” Sam traced his fingers up and down Gabriel’s ribs. 

 

“Fair enough, kiddo. I’m comfortable with every roll you can come up with- Dominant or submissive, I love it all. My safeword is ‘kielbasa’ but I can use colors too. My only hard limit is wing torture.” Sam shifted his fingers to the golden feathers that were surrounding them, stroking them reverently. 

 

“I’d  _ never _ risk damaging your wings, Gabe. Tweaking feathers and tickling is one thing, but the thought of actually hurting you like that makes me feel sick. I’m sadistic sometimes, but not to that point.” Gabriel kissed him softly.

 

“I know, Sammy. But if we’re doing kink negotiations, it’s only fair to put everything out there. We don’t have to play right now. You know I’ll wait.” Sam yawned widely. 

 

“Here, babe.” Gabriel clicked his fingers and suddenly they were both clean, dry, and dressed in their favorite sweatpants. “Get some rest.”

 

Sam stifled another yawn and nodded agreeably. His eyes were already drifting shut. “Love you, Gabe.” Gabriel kissed his eyelids shut.

  
“Love you too, Sammy.”


	17. That's What I Like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thanks to The_Assbutt_Impala for the chapter inspiration! Chapter warnings....a boatload of drinking, and a bit of PG-13 exhibitionism, I guess? Also, I'm sorry for the delay in updating, so have a crazy long chapter to make up for it. Y'all are amazing!

After Gabriel checked in with his little brother to make sure that tempers had calmed on all fronts, he dragged his protesting mate back to the bunker. Dean was sprawled on the couch with Cas beside him. The Angel’s feet were propped up on his husband’s lap and the pair were watching yet another rerun of Star Trek. Dean was trying and failing to explain to the confounded Angel why the android Data seemed determined to understand human behavior and become more human himself.

 

“Look, Cas. I don’t know how else to explain it to you. Data was built by a human and has spent most of his existence struggling to fit in with his crewmates because he doesn’t understand human behavior. That’s why he lets Geordi give him the emotion chip.” Cas frowned at the screen.

 

“But  _ why? _ He is not human. He defies his very nature in his quest. Why can’t he be content with himself as he was created? It does not make sense.” Gabriel snickered.

 

“Boy, if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black!” Dean shot the Archangel a filthy look.

 

“You’re not helping, man.” Gabriel swiped some of the popcorn the couple had on the table in front of them.

 

“Well Cassie, it’s like this. I believe that Data wishes to understand humans because he finds his seemingly soulless existence to be empty, possibly even pointless. It’s a metaphor for the human condition in general, and the eternal question of “Why?” Why did Data’s father Noonian Soong create his sons? Why did Dad create us, and the humans we were charged to love? What is the point of even existing? And as Data comes to form his own opinions on “why”, he inherently becomes more human.” 

 

The Winchesters stared at Gabriel, both floored. Dean cleared his throat.

 

“Damn Gabe, I’d never have taken you for a Star Trek fan.” Gabriel chuckled. 

 

“I’ve been kicking around on this planet for thousands of years with nothing else to do. It got considerably less boring once television finally kicked off. I gotta say, other than alcohol and blowjobs, I think Sci-fi is my favorite human invention.” Sam cuffed his mate upside the head as he walked past.

 

“You’re an unrepentant hedonist, you know that?” Gabriel just wiggled his eyebrows and stuck his tongue out, earning rolled eyes from both humans.

 

“So, what set off the Star Trek existential crisis? You’re already considerably more ‘human’ than basically the entire Heavenly Host put together, disregarding yours truly of course.” Castiel shrugged sullenly.

 

“I was trying to convince him to come out to a bar with me.” Dean grumbled. Cas cut him off with a glare.

 

“As I told you, there is no point. I cannot become intoxicated without drinking absolutely absurd quantities of alcohol, which would prove to anyone watching that I am not, in fact, human.” Sam winced, remembering the liquor store incident. 

 

“Oh Cassie, Cassie, Cassie… Still such a fledgling. You aren’t able to get drunk on  _ human _ alcohol because your Grace metabolizes it so quickly that you may as well be drinking water. That leaves you with basically three options: One, drink as much as you can, as fast as you can, and try to overpower your tolerance for a little bit. Two, doctor your drink with holy oil, which is awful tasting and very uncomfortable. Or three, have some of this!” With a flourish, the former Trickster pulled a small ceramic jar out of thin air. Castiel eyed it dubiously.

 

“And what, pray tell, is that?” The raven-haired angel asked. 

 

“This, baby bro, is pure Asgardian mead. It’s the strongest alcohol ever created. This particular batch was brewed for me by Thor himself. A single drop is enough to knock a human on their ass for hours. A mouthful would be outright lethal. It’s strong enough to get a bunch of Norse gods trashed, which is both funnier and more bloody than you’d think.” Gabriel waved the jar enticingly. Dean had perked up in a way that was a bit concerning, and was watching his husband with an almost painfully hopeful expression.

 

Castiel hesitantly reached out and took the small, unassuming pot from his elder brother and turned it over in his hands, examining it. Gabriel decided that it was time for his trump card.

 

“Oh, and guess what’s even better about this stuff? After the first drink, normal human alcohol will affect you much more strongly than it would otherwise. It basically completely overpowers your Grace’s ability to nullify intoxicants until it wears off.” 

 

“Dean…?” Castiel turned to his bondmate. The human gave him a small, reassuring smile and clapped him on the shoulder.

 

“I’ll take care of you, I promise. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” He murmured. Sam scoffed, earning a glare and disapproving pulse from his own mate.

 

“Something you want to share with the class, Sam?” The Archangel asked pointedly.

 

“Not really… That’s just exactly what Dean said to me when I was thirteen, five minutes before he gave me my first beer.” Dean laughed at the memory.

“Yeah, and you liked it so much that you polished off a six pack in the time it took me to unload the car! I had to carry your drunk bitch ass to bed and tell Bobby that you had the flu!” 

 

“Jerk.” Sam replied automatically. 

 

“And did he take care of you?” Cas asked, still eyeing the jar of mead as if it might bite him.

 

“Yeah, he did.” Sam replied.  _ ‘If by taking care of me, you mean holding my hair while I puked my spleen up a few hours later, and then mocking me relentlessly for years…’  _ He mentally added to Gabriel. The angel fought to keep a straight face while they waited for Cas to make a choice.

 

“Alright.” The Seraph finally nodded, and Gabriel wanted to scream his victory from the rooftops as Cas started to take the lid off. Dean quickly stopped him.

 

“Hang on, let's do this right. There’s a decent bar in town, we’ll all go there tonight and have some fun.” Gabriel nodded enthusiastically and retrieved the jar, pocketing it before he grabbed his little brother and yanked him to his feet.

 

“Come on, Cassie! We need to get you something to wear other than “Holy Tax Accountant” chique, and time’s a-wastin’!” The pair vanished. Sam took Castiel’s vacated spot on the couch. Eventually, he sighed and glanced at his big brother.

 

“Dean, I wish you’d stop treating me like I’m still thirteen and sneaking my first beer out of Bobby’s fridge. I’ll be thirty next year. I can take care of myself.” 

 

Dean scrubbed at his face. “You’re just determined to have a chick-flick moment, huh… Look, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I freak out when you’re in danger, I’m sorry if I come off as trying to mother you, I’m sorry if it feels like I don’t trust you to be an adult. You’re a damned fine hunter, and jumped up on Archangel power to boot. But I see you staring down the barrel of some jackass demon’s gun, and all I can remember is the six-month-old I hauled out of a burning house.” Sam cringed a bit, all the fight going out of him at once. He summoned a pair of beers from the kitchen and twisted the tops off, passing one to Dean, who barked a surprised laugh.

 

“I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that.” Content that their argument was settled, the brothers settled back to wait for their angels to return.

 

Dean had just dozed off when a loud pop announced the return of the angelic half of their family. Gabriel unceremoniously shoved his little brother forward, and Dean’s jaw very nearly hit the floor. Gone was Castiel’s beloved trench coat and suit. Gabriel had talked the younger angel into a dark gray button down that made his eyes all but glow and a pair of somewhat faded but form fitting jeans. His dress shoes had been swapped out for black boots. Dean gave a low whistle. 

 

“Damn Cas, you clean up good.” Even Sam had to privately admit that the angel looked incredibly good. 

 

Gabriel clapped his hands. “Alright boys, we’re leaving in twenty. Get your asses in gear! Cassie and I  _ will _ leave without you if you don’t get a move on!” Dean rolled his eyes but got up to go change anyways, pulling Castiel along behind him. “And no flannel, Winchester!” Gabriel yelled after him. Sam started to get up as well, but Gabriel stopped him with a finger pressed to the human’s lips. He lightly snapped his fingers.

 

Sam glanced down and was amused to see that Gabriel had changed his clothes. The younger Winchester was now dressed in his favorite jeans- the dark washed ones that hugged his ass in a way that should be illegal. There was a rip in the left knee from a fight with a hodag. His shirt was an emerald green henley that he’d never seen before. All three buttons were undone, exposing enough chest that the very edge of his tattoo was visible. He glanced down at his feet and glared half heartedly at his mate.

 

“Loafers, Gabe? Really?” Gabriel smirked. The Trickster himself was dressed in jeans, a black v-neck, and a white button down that hung open. Sam pulled his mate down into his lap for a kiss.

 

“Get a fucking room, you two!” Dean barked from the doorway. He had swapped his Batman t-shirt out for a gray undershirt and blue checkered button down. Gabriel bounded to his feet, bouncing slightly with uncontained enthusiasm. 

 

“Come on, come on! The Archangel started herding them towards the garage. A short drive later, Dean pulled his beloved Baby into a parking spot at the far end of the lot, well away from other vehicles. He muttered something about ‘drunk morons dinging my car’ as he slipped the key into his pocket. Together, the group headed into the bar. 

 

The first impression that Gabriel got was  _ noise. _ The place was on the full side, with dozens of people talking, several patrons playing pool, and a pair of extremely drunk women on the stage singing karaoke. A fairly large group of couples were dancing in roughly the center of the room. The Archangel pushed the other three towards a group of tables against one wall before shouldering his way over to the bar to order drinks. The bartender was all too happy to serve him very quickly after Gabriel put a fifty dollar bill on the bar, and he trotted back over to his companions in record time.

 

“Holy crap, that was fast!” Dean remarked as he reached for one of the amber bottles. Gabriel winked.

 

“Being able to snap anything I want into existence comes in handy, Dean-o.” He again pulled the jar of Asgardian mead out of thin air and carefully poured a small amount of honey colored liquid into both his and Castiel’s glasses. After returning the jar to whatever pocket dimension he used for his parlor tricks, the Archangel raised his glass.

 

“To being human.” The Winchester brothers obligingly touched their glasses to his, and Cas followed suit after a moment of hesitation. Gabriel shook his head at his little brother’s ignorance of hallowed drinking traditions and took a mouthful of his beer. The mead hit him almost instantly, and the former Trickster god took a moment to savor the head rush that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Meanwhile, the younger Angel was choking on his beer and Dean was slapping him on the back. Castiel finally surfaced with a dazed expression on his face.

 

“Gabriel...that…” He seemed unable to articulate his opinion of the Norse beverage. 

 

“I know, right?” Gabriel finished off his beer, already feeling a bit warm and tingly. The human brothers watched the entire event with a mix of concern and amusement as Castiel’s cheeks very quickly took on a rosey hue. Dean caught the eye of a passing waitress and signaled for refills. 

 

Gabriel’s promise of compromised alcohol tolerance proved true, and after his third beer Castiel seemed well on his way to being properly drunk. The Seraph was involved in a debate with Sam over the proper translation of some archaic and forgotten text. Dean had switched to whiskey and was nursing his second glass of Jack Daniels while pretending not to be interested, and the Archangel was watching the whole scene with an indulgent smile. He wasn’t bothering to hold back on his alcohol consumption, although he was snapping every other glass into existence in order to not alarm the waitstaff. 

 

The drunk ladies stumbled off the stage and Dean eyed his brother-in-law. “No balls, Gabe!”

 

“You’re on, Winchester.” Gabriel hopped up and headed straight for the karaoke machine. Sam watched in amusement as the Archangel jumped up on the stage, wondering what insanity his pint-sized mate was about to inflict upon them. The younger Winchester damned near choked on his beer when without preamble, the Archangel busted into a Flo Rida song. Dean’s eye nearly bugged out of his head.

 

“Sammy, what the hell is your boyfriend doing?” Sam shrugged.

 

“I have no clue, but it’s fucking cute.” Sam watched as Gabriel started doing what Charlie might have referred to as the “I’m drunk and can’t dance” wiggle. He pointed straight at Sam while he sang.

 

_ I said hey, that's what I like, I like about you! _

_ The way you do what you do, how you do, I like about you! _

_ Come on now, hey, that's what I like, I like about you! _

_ The way you do what you do, how you do, I like about you! _

_ I said hey, hey, hey, hey! _

 

Sam put his face in his hands while Dean howled with laughter. By the time Gabriel was finished singing and lept off the stage to laughter and applause, Sam was beet red and Dean had his head on the table, laughing his ass off. Castiel looked extremely perplexed by the entire series of events.

 

Dean finally put his empty tumbler down. “Alright, you geriatric old fucks. We came here to have a good time, not be bored to death. Come on, Cas. I’m going to teach you to play pool.” He helped the slightly unsteady Angel to his feet. Cas nodded agreeably, and the pair set off towards the tables. 

 

“Ah, finally alone! Now we can really have some fun! Stay, boy.” Gabriel purred in his mate’s ear before slipping back over to the bar. Sam couldn’t suppress the shudder that went through him. Gabriel came back a few moments later with a bottle of tequila, a bowl full of limes, a shot glass, and a shaker of salt. 

 

Sam’s eyes went dinner plate wide. “Oh, no. No, no,  _ no _ . Not only that, but  _ HELL  _ no.” Gabriel smiled seductively. 

 

“Oh, come on Sammy-boy. Lighten up, have some fun. I swear I’ll make it worth your while.” Across the bond, the Angel sent a very vivid image of himself on his knees behind Sam with his tongue buried in the young man’s ass. Sam shivered violently. 

 

“I’m not nearly drunk enough to let you do body shots.” Sam tried to protest. In response, Gabriel pulled out the mead.

 

“One drop, Samshine. I promise, it’s like no buzz you’ve ever had in your life.” Sam eyed the ceramic jar suspiciously. “Trust me, mate.” Gabriel whispered in the human’s ear. He opened the jar and dipped one finger into the amber fluid. He pressed the damp fingertip to Sam’s lips, and slowly the human darted his tongue out to taste the offering. Instantly Sam was swamped by a wonderfully warm feeling, as if he had slipped into a hot tub. He sighed and shuddered, going nearly boneless against his mate. Gabriel caught him and huffed a laugh.

 

“Was that good for you, baby?” He teased. Sam chuckled and nuzzled Gabriel’s neck in response. Gabriel made sure that Sam was sitting on his own and watched as Sam quickly fell under the effects of the potent liquor. After a few moments, Sam grinned quite drunkenly at his bondmate and picked up the salt. Sam licked a patch on the inside of his wrist and covered it in salt, picked up a lime slice in the same hand and arched an eyebrow challengingly. Gabriel shot the look straight back and poured himself a shot. He licked the salt off Sam’s skin, took the shot, and bit the lime from the human’s fingers before leaning in for a kiss. Nearby, an older couple chuckled indulgently at the antics.

 

Encouraged by the older pair, Sam rolled his sleeve up over his elbow and repeated the salting process on the tender skin, and Gabriel was all too happy to comply. A second shot later, he again nipped the lime from his mate’s fingers and stole a kiss. A quick glance to the side told the tipsy Angel that they were gathering a small crowd. Sam followed his gaze, flushing a little, but the loose, languid effect of the mead was still very much clouding his mind. He sucked on his index finger and smeared a wet mark on the bit clavicle exposed by his open buttons. Egged on by the onlookers, Sam placed the next lime slice between his teeth. 

 

Gabriel flashed him a million-watt grin and took the offered shot, turning sucking the lime into another teasing kiss. He wasn’t sure sober-Sam would approve of drunk-Sam’s increasingly sexy body shots, but he couldn’t bring himself to give a flying fuck when Sam hiked his shirt up enough to expose a patch of washboard abs. Gabriel had never had much self control when it came to Sam, and this was just too much to resist. He dipped his finger in the tequila and drew a smiley face on Sam’s stomach before salting it and repeating the shot to hoots of laughter. Grinning around the lime he was sharing with his gorgeous mate, he began tugging at the green henley. Sam obligingly leaned back and allowed the Trickster to remove the shirt entirely. With a devious smile, Sam dipped his fingers in the tequila again and drew a line across each nipple.

 

“Holy hell, Sam…” Gabriel breathed, applying the salt with shaking hands. He took his time licking the salt back off, earning approving yells from the much larger crowd. Sam arched an eyebrow in blatant mimicry of the Archangel’s favorite taunting expression and puckered his lips. Before he could stop to think about what they were doing, Gabriel traced tequila across Sam’s lips, applied the salt, and took the shot with tongue than was strictly necessary. When they broke apart, Sam leaned in to whisper to him.

 

“One more, Gabe?” He slurred a little. The heat in Sam’s eyes was enough to send a matching spiral of arousal straight to Gabriel’s already hard cock. Gabriel nodded, holding his breath as Sam unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper down just a little, exposing a prominent hip bone. 

 

“Fuck!” Gabriel growled and set the shot up. He glanced around at the gathered crowd.

 

“Should I do it?” He crowed, holding the last shot of tequila up over his head. The crowd went absolutely nuts. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He smirked and leaned down, lapping the salt off just inches from the increasingly prominent bulge in Sam’s jeans. He knocked back the shot and pulled the lime out of Sam’s teeth, capturing his lips in a smoking hot kiss. He finally sat back to regard the crowd, who were going wild.

 

“And that’s all, folks!” Gabriel twisted his Grace to warp reality so that the drunken patrons of the bar wouldn’t notice the couple vanishing into thin air. The pair tumbled into Sam’s bed, naked and in a tangle of limbs.

 


	18. Sweet Child of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babyfic? But maybe not? Also, hungover Angels. Read to find out more!

The morning after Castiel’s first night out drinking was, in Gabriel’s opinion, both hilarious and agonizing. Hilarious because Asgardian mead came with one of the nastiest hangovers ever, and agonizing because both Angels were suffering. To make matters worse, both of their human mates were also feeling like they had been hit by a truck, which all added up to all four of them crashing out on the couches in the den, passing Gatorade back and forth and swearing that none of them would ever touch alcohol again.

 

Cas was by far the worst off. Despite the fact that Gabriel had drank considerably more than his little brother, the older Angel was used to it. Castiel spent most of the morning after with his head in a bucket and Dean rubbing his back consolingly. Gabriel had offered to fetch the Seraph some Tylenol and had very nearly ended up wearing said bucket for his troubles. It was early evening before anyone was feeling even remotely like themselves again. 

 

“Why... _ why _ in the name of the darkest pits of Hell do humans do this for fun?” Cas grouched from inside his blanket fort. 

 

“Most people start a bit slower and build up an alcohol tolerance over time. You kinda went off the deep end, babe.” Dean chuckled into his husband’s hair. “I stopped counting after your seventh beer.” Cas groaned again and reached for his bottle of Gatorade. 

 

Gabriel strolled by carrying a plate of greasy breakfast food, including biscuits and a generous helping of cheese smothered hashbrowns, and a cup of black coffee. He dropped the plate unceremoniously into his baby brother’s lap. “Here. Eat it or I’m dumping it on your head. You’ll feel better with something on your stomach.” He doled out similar plates to the Winchesters and tucked into his own food with enough gusto to make the rest of their flock feel nauseated again.

 

Bobby called halfway through the dinner-breakfast with info on another case. It seemed that in the depths of South Dakota, people were vanishing, leaving only their clothes behind. The police were baffled, and Bobby was too busy dealing with a vampire infestation to go check it out. Dean reluctantly agreed and started hustling the still slightly hungover flock towards the car.

 

“Can’t this wait until morning?” Sam grumbled from the back seat. He had forced Castiel to ride shotgun to minimize the risk of the Angel puking again. Dean glanced at his miserable husband and shook his head.

 

“Sorry, guys. Bobby said we need to get out there as fast as possible. We’ve only got a short time before there’s another disappearance if the pattern holds.” Dean steered his Baby out of the garage and set off for the highway.

 

The drive took six long, miserable hours. Castiel slept for the majority of it, aided by a nudge of Grace from his elder brother. The last of the mead’s effects were wearing off and Gabriel was finally able to mitigate the damage. By the time they arrived, everyone was feeling considerably better. Dean checked them into the first hotel he found. The hotel owner seemed confused by four men purchasing the last available room at two o’clock in the morning, but turned over the keys without comment.

 

Morning came far too early for Gabriel’s liking. The cheap motel curtains did very little to block the obnoxious rays, so with much grumbling and liberal application of coffee the group began making plans for their investigation. Dean decided to take Cas and start interviewing the families of the missing people while Sam and Gabriel hunted up local legends and history. Dean and Cas donned their FBI monkey suits and set off after agreeing to meet up for lunch. Gabriel and Sam popped over to the library so the younger Winchester could bury himself in local lore books and microfilms of old police reports and newspapers. 

 

Gabriel’s boundless energy and short attention span were more of a hinderance than anything else, earning disapproving looks and tutting from the withered librarian every time he leaned his seat back and dropped it back down or started popping his cheeks.

It was after a particularly nasty sounding  _ “sssshhhhh!!”  _ that Sam dug into his bag and slapped a Gameboy on the table in front of his boyfriend. 

 

“Here. For fuck’s sake, play some Pokemon or something and be quiet!” He hissed at his mate. He forked over a Tootsie Pop to silence the whistling and cheek popping and went right back to his research. Gabriel snorted- as if something so simple could entertain him for long! 

 

“Gabe. Hey, Earth to Gabriel!” Sam was shaking his shoulder. Gabriel blinked and looked up. “Come on, we need to go meet Dean and Cas. I’m starving!” The Archangel looked dumbfounded.

 

“Wha’?” He craned his neck to see the clock on the far wall and just about fell out of his chair in shock- it was a little after noon! Sam laughed, took the Gameboy from his mate’s hands, and saved his progress. 

 

“Holy shit, I can’t believe you just sat perfectly still for almost four hours. It’s a miracle. I’m going to have to buy you every Pokemon game in existence.” Sam finished packing up all of the notes he had taken and stuffed everything back into his bag. “Come on already. I need food or I’m going to have to resort to raiding your candy stash.”

 

Dean and Cas were waiting for them outside with takeout bags from a local burger joint and a salad for Sam. Since the weather was nice, they decided to just park the car and eat outside while discussing the case.

 

“So, get this- there’s a cycle to these disappearances. Every fifty years like clockwork, people start vanishing. The local conspiracy theorists claim that it’s alien abduction.” Sam said around bites of salad.

 

Dean scoffed. “Well talking to the families turned up bupkis. There’s no pattern, no similarities, no links between the victims. This time, there’s a seventy year old homeless black guy, a fifteen year old honors student from the local high school, two middle aged hispanic women from opposite sides of the planet, and the female head of the community college. None of them knew each other, and nobody had any enemies that might have wanted them to vanish. No bodies ever turned up, either.” 

 

“Maybe we’re thinking too locally. Do any John or Jane Doe reports from other areas match the vics? There’s always run of the mill kidnappers, black market organ sales, shit like that.” Sam reached for his laptop to start checking, only to be stopped by Castiel.

 

“Wait.” The Seraph cocked his head in the manner that the Winchesters had come to recognise as him stretching out his Angel senses. After a few moments, Cas shook his head as if to clear it. “There are no perfect matches for any of the currently missing people anywhere.” Sam’s eyebrows shot up. 

 

“You checked the whole country?” He asked incredulously. 

 

“The whole planet, more like.” Gabriel chimed in around a mouthful of fries. Cas nodded.

 

“However, I would suggest that we investigate some of the farms on the outskirts of town. Something feels….strange...there. I’m sorry, but I don’t know how else to describe it.” Gabriel reached for his little brother’s hand, and the pair went very still for a few heartbeats.

 

“Damn, I’m stumped. I’ve never seen anything like that before.” The Archangel actually looked annoyed. 

Sam ran his fingers through his mate’s hair in an almost unconscious calming gesture. “For lack of a better plan, I think we should head back to the motel and get some rest so we can scope out the farms tonight.” 

 

Dean nodded in agreement. “I’ll give Bobby a call, see if he’s turned up anything.” 

 

Later that evening, Sam and Dean were going through Baby’s trunk for anything they might need. Bobby had yelled at them for going in totally blind, but he eventually agreed that lacking any concrete information, there only option they had was to go on the angel’s hunch. 

 

“Just be careful, ya idjits. Don’t go doin’ anything stupid.” The gruff old drunk cautioned them. 

 

“You know us, Bobby!” Gabriel yelled from across the room.

 

“Yeah, that’s what worries me.” The line went dead and the group set off in the direction of Castiel’s ‘strange’ feeling farm. Both Angels seemed to get more and more agitated as they approached, and by the time they reached the property, even the humans were feeling on edge. The Impala struggled to get down the badly overgrown and pothole studded driveway. The property was very obviously abandoned and most of the buildings were showing signs of severe neglect. The main house’s roof had collapsed, as had the wrap around porch. What looked like the burnt out remain of a shed sat beside a mouldering garden. In the middle of an overgrown pasture sat a dilapidated barn. 

 

“Well, where do we start?” Sam was loading a shotgun with rock salt. Dean reached past him and into the trunk for his machete.

 

“Main house? I really don’t like the idea of splitting up here.” The older brother suppressed a shudder, earning a surprised glance from Gabriel. Dean was usually unflappable. 

 

_ ‘Something’s seriously wrong with this place.’  _ Gabriel thought. Every alarm bell in his head was ringing. He glanced over at the other Angel. Cas looked very twitchy and was twiddling his right hand in a way that suggested that he was itching to draw his sword. Gabriel brushed his Grace against his little brother’s in an attempt to soothe him despite his own growing anxiety. 

 

“Come on. Stay together, and stay focused.” Dean led the way towards the rotting two-story house with a flashlight in one hand and his pistol in the other. Once inside, they could see that before it had been abandoned, this old farm house had been magnificent. A shattered chandelier lay in ruins on the floor of the entryway. The ornate wooden staircase had dry rotted to the point that it likely wouldn’t bear their weight. The marble floors were cracked and covered in mold and dirt. Along one wall was a massive mirror, also cracked and dusty. Gabriel brushed his fingers along it as he crept past.

 

The group slowly swept from room to room, clearing what had obviously been some form of sitting room, a dining room, and a kitchen that had obviously suffered a small fire as well- the large brick fireplace and surrounding wall were covered in soot. With the entire first floor swept, the Angels popped everyone up to the second floor. They snuck through multiple bedrooms and a massive library that caused Sam to nearly cry over the mouldering mess that was the stacks of books. 

 

“Ok, so the house is a bust. Barn?” Gabriel asked. Tramping out through the horribly overgrown pasture in the dark was a pain in the ass for everyone as they kept getting tangled in weeds and tripping over rocks. When Gabriel and Dean gripped the doors and wrenched them open, something went skittering off into the looming darkness. Sam brought the shotgun up, Cas drew his sword, and the group advanced. 

 

Behind them, the barn doors slammed shut, cutting off what little moonlight was able to enter the structure. “Shit…” Dean ground out, sweeping the shadows with his rapidly failing flashlight. “Shit!” He yelled again when the battery suddenly died, plunging the whole building into darkness. Gabriel drew his own sword in one hand and summoned up a ball of light in the other just in time to see a skeletal figure peel itself away from the wall and lunge towards the Archangel, shrieking bloody murder. Several smaller shadow figures followed it, targeting the rest of the group. Gabriel cursed and leapt aside, trying to draw the creature away from his mate. Sam shot one of the shadows, dissipating it, and leveled the shotgun at the monster, praying for a clear shot as they clashed over and over. Gabriel got a lucky swipe in and slit the monster’s throat, easily slicing through dessicated flesh. But instead of going down, the creature only seemed more enraged. It ripped away from the Archangel and lunged towards Dean instead, giving Sam the opportunity to pump three shots of rock salt into it. It staggered back against the wall, shrieking in rage as what little skin it had began to bubble and melt away.

 

The creature howled again and lunged towards Gabriel even as it disintegrated, it’s hands glowing a sickly green as it reached for him. “Gabriel!” Castiel lunged between them just as the green haze broke away from what was left of the skeleton, taking the brunt of the bolt. Gabriel was hit with the backlash and both of them went down in an explosion of green light. 

 

“Cas!” “Gabriel!” The Winchesters yelled simultaneously, sprinting towards their Angels while blinking spots from their eyes. Sam summoned the same type of light ball that  Gabriel had as they ran, stopping short when the light fell on Castiel’s trench coat lying on the ground. “No…” He whispered, holding his hand up higher and casting light on the rest of Castiel’s suit and the jeans and red button down that Gabriel had been wearing. Dean fell to his knees by the trench coat, followed by Sam. The younger brother leaned against the elder, burying his face against well-worn flannel as they both struggled to breathe. 

 

Sam gave an anguished sob, cut short by a loud wail. The Winchester’s heads snapped up in time to see Castiel’s trench coat wiggle. Dean drew his machete and used it to cautiously lift the edge of the tan fabric, and what he saw nearly made him pass out in shock. There, on the cold, hard packed earth floor, was an infant. A small, naked infant with a mop of ebony hair and downy black wings. 

 

“Cas?” Dean rasped out, dropping the blade and reaching for the squalling baby. Sam’s eyes snapped from his brother, who was now clutching the baby to his chest, over to the clothes that Gabriel had worn, his hands shaking. Just as he reached for the shirt, it moved, and up popped a mess of golden curls. 

 

“Oh, shit.” Sam cursed as he stared at the golden-winged little boy who had unmistakably been his Archangel mate just a few moments prior. 

 

“Sammy!” The toddler shrieked and flung his naked little self across the short distance towards his human. Sam caught him reflexively and pulled him close. 

 

“Sam...what the fuck just happened?” Behind him, another group of shadow figures peeled off the wall and started towards them.

 

“Fuck, no time for that! Hold on!” Sam clutched baby-Gabe to his chest with one arm and grabbed Dean’s shoulder with the other, desperately gathering the Archangel’s Grace as fast as he could. With a quick prayer to whoever was listening, Sam Winchester fixed his adopted father’s home in his mind and  _ reached _ with everything he had just as the shadows grabbed for them. 


	19. Hourglass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning, 3,000 words of absolutely painful amounts of fluff inbound. Like, fluffier than the Angel Soft toilet paper baby's diaper. Why? Because we don't get to see enough of this side of things in the show, and because I wanted to take a crack at writing Bobby for a change.

Let it be said that Robert Singer is a man of stout constitution and not easily startled. But when his adopted sons materialized on the floor of his living room at just after one AM, retching and reeking of ozone, he very nearly shot them both in a kneejerk reaction. It wasn’t one of his prouder moments. 

 

“What the hell happened to you two?” He barked, diving to snatch a pile of books out of the way when Sam gagged again. It was only then that he noticed the naked toddler that the younger Winchester was trying not to vomit on. His head snapped over fast enough to rival the Exorcist movie when he heard a plaintive wail from Dean’s arms.

 

“Boys, what in the blue blazes is going on here? And where’s Cas and Gabriel?” At the sound of his name, the toddler-sized Archangel looked up. Wide, whiskey-colored eyes met blue, and the little boy stumbled towards Bobby in the unsteady gait of a child just figuring out how to use his feet. He tripped and very nearly face planted, snatched up at the last moment by a stunned Singer.

 

“Gabe?” The old man asked incredulously. The naked toddler broke into a wide grin, displaying all three of his teeth. “Balls!” Bobby growled, but he scooped up the child nonetheless. He grabbed an ancient wool Army blanket off the couch and wrapped the toddler up in it, wings and all. 

 

“And I take it that’s Cas?” He jerked his head in Dean’s direction. Dean nodded and wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. Bobby set Gabriel down and made a move to take the tiny form from Dean’s arms. Dean drew him in closer.

 

“Dammit Dean, this isn’t my first rodeo. I half raised you idjits, I think I can handle keeping an eye on these two while you and Sam go clean up. And I want a damned explanation when you get back!” He barked, pointing in the direction of the staircase.

 

Sam staggered drunkenly to his feet. “Yes, Bobby.” He murmured. Bobby blinked in shock at Sam’s defeated tone. He dialed back the growl and lowered his voice a bit.

 

“Jesus, boys. You look done in. Go on, get clean. I’ll mind these two.” Dean reluctantly handed over his teensy burden and started towards the stairs, half supporting his little brother. Bobby shook his head in exasperation and looked down at the infant in his arms. 

 

“Cas, I don’t suppose you’ll tell me what the hell happened?” Castiel gurgled at him. “Didn’t think so. Let’s see about findin’ you two somethin’ to use for diapers. And don’t even think about spittin’ up on me.” He waggled a finger in the tiny Angel’s face. Cas flailed with one tiny hand until he could grip the finger and Bobby Singer, paranoid drunken bastard, very nearly sobbed. He scrubbed a calloused hand across his eyes.

 

“Ah, hell. Come on, Gabe. Gotta find you somethin’ to wear, too. You never did have any damned shame.” With an infant in the crook of one arm and a toddler on the other hip, Bobby started down to the basement in search of something suitable. 

 

Almost an hour later, the Winchester brothers came back down from their old room. Both men had showered and found some clothes that they had left behind on their last visit, so they were feeling considerably more human. Dean stopped short in the doorway, causing Sam to crash into him.

 

“Dean, what the hell?” Sam hissed, but he fell silent when he followed Dean’s finger. Bobby was laying on the couch with Gabriel cuddled up to his side and Cas snoozing on his chest. The older man’s eyes were closed and he was smiling faintly. Sam quietly took out his phone and snapped a picture before Dean cleared his throat to announce their presence. 

 

“Hush, I just got them to sleep.” Bobby slowly sat up and passed the snoozing infant back to Dean, who immediately clutched him close again. Gabriel snuffled in displeasure at the loss of his heat source and Sam was quick to take Bobby’s place on the couch. The pint-sized Archangel wrapped his tiny downy wings around Sam and himself and went right back to snoring.

 

“So, what in the hell happened to you idjits?” Bobby asked, glancing between the brothers.

 

“Fuck if I know, Bobby. It was some monster I’d never seen before.” Dean gave him an abridged run down of the day’s events. 

 

“Damn, boy. I never heard of nothin’ like that. Some walking corpse with pet shadows that can turn a pair of Angels into infants? I’m gonna have to make some calls in the mornin’. And what was with the magic trick and puking all over my living room?” Sam groaned.

 

“There were more of the shadow things coming after us, and suddenly we had two helpless little kids on our hands instead of Angels. I panicked and used Gabe’s Grace to get us here. Apparently flying is harder than it looks.” Sam rubbed his temples. “And now I’ve got a screaming migraine.” He added. Bobby winced in sympathy and retrieved a bottle of pills from his desk.

 

“Here. Take two and call me in the morning.” Sam huffed a laugh in spite of himself, twisted the cap off, and took two of the tablets without complaint.

 

“What’re we going to do with these guys?” Dean asked.

 

“It’s too damned late for a Walmart run,” Bobby glanced at the clock “Make that too early. I can drag Sam’s old crib out of the basement, but the couch will have to do for the night.” Dean did a double take at the older man.

 

“You kept our baby stuff?” He murmured, more than a little touched. 

 

“Yeah well, you never know when you’ll need somethin’ again.” Bobby rubbed his beard. “I’ve got ‘em in Sam’s old cloth diapers for the moment, but I honestly don’t know if they need them. Or for that matter, if they need food. Neither one of them has to eat normally, right?” Dean nodded. 

 

“But who knows what they’ll need like this? Or how much they remember? Or how long they’ll be babies? Fuck, we could be stuck with them like this forever! What the hell are we going to do, Bobby?” Dean rambled, getting increasingly worked up until baby Cas squalled. Dean immediately calmed down and rocked the infant in the same way he used to cuddle Sam. Bobby gripped his shoulder.

 

“Easy, boy. We’ll get you through this. I’ll call around first thing in the mornin’ and see if anybody knows what mojo they got hit with and how to reverse it. Until then... Well, I raised you two idjits. We’ll manage. Crash out down here with them for the night, I’ll get Sam’s crib put back together after we’ve had some rest. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had to assemble baby furniture.” They both looked over at Sam, who was cuddling with his winged toddler on the couch. Both were fast asleep. Dean settled deeper into the recliner and Bobby passed him a blanket before heading towards the stairs.

 

“Hey, Bobby?” Dean called softly.

 

“Yeah?” Came the equally soft response.

 

“You’re awesome.”

 

“G’night, son.” 

 

Despite his worry about rolling over on his baby mate, Dean eventually dozed off. The peaceful silence was broken by a loud crash, followed by happy squealing and Sam yelling in panic.

 

“DEAN! Help!” Dean leapt out of the chair and barreled into the kitchen with the infant angel squashed tight to his chest, only to nearly piss himself laughing at his little brother and the shrunken Archangel. Sam had obviously been trying to cook breakfast, and Gabriel had somehow gotten ahold of the pancake syrup and was literally bathing in it. From the look of the disaster, in his rush to stop Gabriel’s syrupy frolicking he had knocked over the bowl of Bisquick powder, upending it all over Gabe. Dean’s cackling woke up the sleeping baby Seraph, who was scowling at the whole scene with adult-Castiel’s trademark glower. 

 

“What in the seven hells is going on down here?!” Bobby bellowed from the staircase. He stomped into the kitchen, his jaw hanging open at the carnage. He took several deep breaths to calm himself while he scowled at Sam.

 

“Right. Dean, you’re on fledgling bathing duty. Take Gabe upstairs and get him clean. Sam, you made the damned mess, clean it up.” Sam started to protest. “I don’t give a rat’s ass that Gabe started it, you can’t take your eyes off kids for a moment! I’m going to the store. This kitchen had better be clean by the time I get back.” 

 

“What am I supposed to do with Cas while I’m giving the syrup monster a bath?” Bobby scowled at him.

 

“Figure somethin’ out. He looks to be about three months old, it’s not like he’s gonna crawl off on ya. I doubt he can even roll over properly yet.” Bobby stormed out, muttering about idjits and Angels the whole way to his truck. The Winchesters shared a look of desperation.

 

“Here, I’ll rinse him off in the sink first so we don’t go tracking this mess through the house. Go get some towels.” Sam hoisted the messy Archangel into the sink and turned the water on, earning an ear piercing shriek at the freezing cold blast. “Sorry, Gabe.” He turned the temperature up. Dean picked his way through the mess on the floor and retrieved a fist full of towels. After a moment’s hesitation, he also snagged the laundry bin from their room and lined it with several fluffy if well-worn towels.

 

By the time he got back downstairs, Sam had removed the worst of the gunk. The younger brother gladly accepted the towel he was offered and he rolled Gabriel up in it like a burrito, getting more indignant squawks and chirping. 

 

“Is it just me or does that sound less like baby babble and more like bird noise?” Dean asked as he settled Cas into the nest he’d created for him. Sam nodded as he scooped up the Gabe-burrito and passed him to Dean.

 

“Leave Cas down here with me while I’m cleaning. It’s not like he’s going anywhere.” Dean glanced at his little brother.

 

“Can’t you just… you know, mojo it clean?” Sam shook his head.

 

“Getting us here was exhausting, and I burnt up most of the Grace I had access to in order to do it. It normally recharges, but I’m worried about taking any from Gabe when he’s in this condition.” Dean nodded, but was obviously disappointed. 

 

“So, that’s a ‘no’ to getting Baby home?” 

 

“Ah shit, I didn’t even consider that. I’m sorry, Dean.” Dean immediately grabbed his baby brother in a one-armed hug. 

 

“Come on, Sammy! It’s ok. You got us here safely, that’s fucking amazing as it is. Don’t worry about the car, I’ll call Garth or somebody to pick her up.” 

 

Sam’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “You’d trust GARTH to drive your car?” 

 

“Well, maybe not. I’ll figure something out. Come on, Gabe. Bath time!” Gabriel cooed happily and patted his damp fingers all over Dean’s face. Dean cringed. 

 

Bobby returned several hours later with the bed of his beat up, rusted out old truck loaded down with baby supplies and Rufus Turner in the shotgun seat. Rufus took one look at the toddler Archangel and burst out laughing. Gabriel was wearing nothing but one of Dean’s oldest, most threadbare shirts, which had been sliced up the back to accommodate his wings. His golden curls were still damp from the bath that had turned into a game of “Let’s Flood the Bathroom!” and he was gleefully cruising along using the couch for support and making his chirp-coo-trilling noises at max volume. Castiel had nestled himself under Dean’s overshirt and was refusing to come out while making quiet, muffled chirps that Sam decided probably translated to telling Gabriel to shut the hell up. It wasn’t helping.

 

“Boys, I’ve got to hand it to you. You somehow get your dumb selves into the strangest messes I’ve ever seen.” Rufus crouched down to look the amber-eyed toddler in the eyes. “And this may be the biggest mess of them all.” Gabriel regarded the strange human in front of him suspiciously until Rufus produced a lollipop from his pocket, at which point Gabriel flung himself onto the older man’s lap and refused to move while he devoured the sugary treat.

 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, he’s a baby!” Sam eyed Gabriel’s enthusiastic slurping with concern, as if the child might choke at any moment.

 

“I’m sure he’s fine. He’s still an Archangel, even if he’s only two feet tall. Besides, have either of them acted hungry or needed a new diaper?” Rufus asked. 

 

“Gabriel hasn’t, but Cas started crying and wouldn’t stop, so I gave him a bottle and he seemed to like it.” Half an hour into Sam’s kitchen cleaning efforts, Castiel had had a total meltdown. Sam followed the instructions that Dean yelled down from the bathroom on cuddling the infant, trying to burp him, rocking him, checking his diaper, and offering him a finger to suck on. Nothing had helped, and in desperation Sam used a bit more of his depleted mojo to create a bottle of formula. Cas had seemed perplexed at first, but after he got a taste of the liquid, he downed the whole bottle in one go, and promptly spit up all over Sam’s (admittedly already filthy) shirt. 

 

“So the Archangel is ok but the Seraph might need more human care.” Bobby surmised. Dean nodded a little glumly. Bobby plunked a tin of powdered formula and a pack of brand new bottles in Dean’s lap.

 

“Have at. I’m sure you remember how to mix a bottle.” Dean carefully pulled the snoozing baby out of his shirt-nest.

 

“Come on, Cas. You hungry?” Dean gently patted the baby’s tiny black feathers. Cas made a disgruntled noise. “Ah, hell!” Dean yelped and suddenly held the baby as far away from his chest as he could with a disgusted look on his face.

 

“What?” Sam looked up from wrangling the toddling Archangel and stepped closer to peer curiously at baby Cas over Dean’s shoulder. Cas fixed the brothers with a very cranky pout.

 

“He peed on me!” Rufus and Bobby cracked up as the infant started voicing his displeasure in a series of high pitched trills. “Oh come on, dammit! It’s not funny!” Dean growled at the cackling men. Even Sam chuckled.

 

“Welcome to parenthood, boy.” Bobby wiped tears of laughter from his face and came over with wipes and a diaper. “Well, come on. Get the little guy cleaned up.”

 

Dean cringed. “I can’t believe I’m doing this for my husband…” He grouched. 

 

“Son, you’d best learn to deal with it because until we figure out how to fix this, you’re stuck with him that size. You wiped Sam’s sorry ass, you can do this.” 

 

“HEY!” Sam barked, a little affronted. Dean collected the supplies and the messy baby and stalked off. 

 

As it turned out, Gabriel did need food. He just didn’t seem to need as much as Castiel did. By Bobby’s estimation, Cas was very much the same as a human newborn. He ate, slept, and needed clean diapers frequently. Gabriel seemed less human, eating at a lesser rate than his now literal baby brother. However, he slept a lot more than expected. 

 

“I dunno, boys. Maybe he’s tryin’ to save up enough mojo to change himself back?” Bobby guessed between increasingly annoyed phone calls. No one had ever seen or heard of a monster with the same abilities. The closest thing that he had turned up was reports of a succubus using the victim’s life force to stay young and beautiful, but that didn’t quite fit what had happened. 

 

Sam groaned and rubbed his eyes. He was starting to get another headache from staring at his laptop screen for so long. “Maybe we’re going about it wrong. Maybe this isn’t a monster. Maybe it’s black witchcraft of some sort.”

 

“Then what was up with the Walking Dead reject?” Dean was feeding Cas another bottle. Sam shrugged. 

 

“Your guess is as good as mine. Look, it’s getting late. I’m calling it for the night. This is making my head hurt.” Bobby agreed and set the phone back on it’s receiver. 

 

“But we can’t just quit!” Dean’s voice was edged with a little desperation and a lot of badly concealed fear.

 

“Boy, take a breath. We’ll figure this out, but there’s no use wearing ourselves thin doin’ it. Get those youngins in bed and come have a beer.” Dean sighed and shifted Cas to his shoulder to burp him and Sam scooped Gabriel up off the floor where he had fallen asleep in the middle of playing. Getting the Angels to bed was the easy part, sneaking back out of the room without waking them up was an altogether different story. Bobby’s house creaked with every step, no matter how light. Gabriel fussed and chirped every time Sam tried to pull his hand away and he shot Dean a non-verbal plea for help, who shrugged helplessly.

 

Bobby appeared in the doorway with something small and fuzzy in his hands. “Here.” The old hunter said gruffly and shoved it at Sam. Sam looked at it curiously before realization struck him.

 

“This was mine!” He whispered, turning the ragged teddy bear over in his hands. “You kept it!” Bobby made an embarrassed noise and fled down the stairs towards the safety of the fridge. 

  
Dean shook his head in amusement. “That old bastard really is sentimental, isn’t he?” Sam hummed in agreement and handed the threadbare toy to Gabe, who promptly glomped onto it and fell asleep with a paw in his mouth. 


	20. Hey Jude

The next morning, Bobby was up and on the phone before dawn, calling everyone he could think of. He had exhausted his local resources and had begun calling hunters in different time zones and several other countries. Dean kept the crotchety older man well supplied with strong coffee and Sam buried his nose in his laptop again.

 

Much to Gabriel’s dismay, Rufus had cleared a large area in Bobby’s cluttered living room and set up a playpen to confine the toddler. He had pouted heavily for several minutes before Sam passed him a box of battered but serviceable toy trains, which had been met with delighted trills. Cas had been given a play mat with a bunch of crinkly, shiny, and otherwise enticing toys dangling from it, but he did not seem to be very interested. The elder Winchester had voiced his concerns about that, but Bobby was quick to reassure him.

 

“If he’s anything like a normal baby, anything more than a foot away is blurry. Besides, it’s  _ Cas. _ Maybe he was a weird baby the first go ‘round, too.” Bobby paused to drain his fourth cup of coffee before dialing up another number.

 

“Hey, Hugh? It’s Bobby. Yeah, good to hear from you too, brother. Listen, I’ve got somethin’ real strange goin’ on up here. You got a minute?” The older hunter rattled off the events for the umpteenth time. “Oh, yeah? Really now? Well you’re always welcome here. Alright, I’ll tell the boys. Yeah, see ya soon.” He hung up and turned to face the Winchesters, who had given up even pretending to not be hanging on to every word.

 

“I think I just struck gold. An old military buddy of your dad’s thinks he might know what’s goin’ on with Frick and Frack, but he wants to come see for himself. It’s an eighteen hour straight shot, so I don’t expect him to get here until tomorrow.” 

 

Sam did his best to control his excitement. “So he thinks there’s a way to fix them?” Bobby held up a hand to calm him.

 

“I didn’ say that, but ol’ Hugh knows just about everythin’ there is to know about obscure magic. If anybody can sort this out, it’ll be him.” Cas startled them with a high pitched trill, followed by very human sounding crying. Dean was at his side in an instant.

 

“Gabriel! Don’t hit Cas!” He scolded as he scooped up the squalling baby. Cas had a bright red mark right in the center of his forehead where Gabe had whacked him with a train. Dean tried to soothe him. “Hey now, come on. You’ve had worse, remember?” Dean propped the wounded fledgling against his shoulder, petting his wings and humming. Sam watched in amazement as Castiel’s sobbing trills turned into hiccups, then pleased chirps. Meanwhile, Gabriel was watching them with a jealous pout. Sam picked up his shrunken mate.

 

“Come on, Gabe. Let’s find something to do so you don’t traumatize Cas any worse.” He offered the sandy-haired boy a graham cracker to chew on, which was eagerly accepted. With the crisis averted, there was nothing to do but wait for Bobby’s friend to arrive. Thankfully, both Angels tired easily and were tucked away for a nap for most of the afternoon.

 

Rather than sit on the couch twiddling their thumbs while they waited for this mysterious ‘Hugh’ to make an appearance, Sam and Dean decided to make themselves busy in the junkyard. With Baby still states away, Dean settled on hauling a reasonably serviceable ‘67 Ford Mustang out of the back corner and set about tearing the motor apart, piece by piece while keeping up a running commentary on car maintenance for Sam. Sam watched with interest and passed tools and a continuous supply of cold beer from his cooler. The afternoon came and went, and the sun was low on the horizon when Bobby bellowed from the porch that dinner was ready and if they wanted some, they’d better get their asses in the house. The brothers jumped to obey. 

 

By the time that everyone had been fed, the Angels bathed and put to bed, and the kitchen tidied up, Bobby and the Winchesters were ready to call it a day. Dean rubbed the back of his neck and tried unsuccessfully to pop it.

 

“Bobby, is this what parenting’s like all the time? Because if it is, I think I’m going to sign up for a vasectomy.” Bobby huffed a laugh into his beer.

 

“Worried about knocking up your non-human  _ husband, _ are ya?” The gruff older man continued to chuckle as Dean turned red. 

 

Sam sighed and rubbed his temples. “I wish this damned headache would go away.”

 

Bobby glanced up, concern in his eyes. “Still hurting? That Oxycodone should have done the trick yesterday.” Sam shook his head.

 

“If anything, it’s getting worse.” Bobby handed over the pill bottle again and Sam took another dose. Dean snagged another beer out of the fridge, watching his little brother thoughtfully.

 

“I wonder if it’s got anything to do with Gabe’s Grace. You said it started when you decided to go all ‘Beam me up, Scotty’ and it hasn’t stopped since, right?” Sam snorted.

 

“And you call  _ me _ a nerd. But yeah, that’s about the gist of it.” Sam kept rubbing at his forehead. “I’m going to go lay down.” Dean patted him on the back as he passed by. 

 

“I’ll be up in a bit, Sammy.” He called after his little brother, who flapped a hand in acknowledgement and made for the stairs. Bobby watched the younger Winchester until he was out of sight. “The sooner we get those two back to normal, the better.” Bobby huffed and Dean nodded in agreement. The crotchety old hunter dropped into his worn recliner and picked up yet another book from the stack beside him, intent on doing more research. Dean started to join him but was waved off. “Get to bed, boy. Keep an eye on Sam.” 

 

Bright and early the next morning, a beige Toyota Land Cruiser ripped into the salvage yard, kicking up rooster tails of dust. Bobby slammed his coffee mug down on the table and was out the door faster than either Winchester had seen him move in years.

 

“Hugh! How the hell are ya? Still driving that foreign piece of shit?” Bobby called. Laughter and a thick Cajun accent responded from the battered, rusted out vehicle.

 

“Bobby! How you been, brother? Ain’t seen you since those boys of yours were still in diapers!” Bobby barked a laugh and extended a hand to the gray-haired man, dragging him into a tight hug. A huge grin split Hugh’s sun beaten face when he spotted the Winchester brothers lingering on the porch.

 

“Shoo, them boys grew up BIG!” Hugh laughed. Bobby gestured Sam and Dean over.

 

“Boys, this is Hugh. He knows everything there is to know about obscure hoodoo, voodoo, and dark magic.” 

 

Dean perked up instantly. “Can you fix them?” Hugh gave a deep belly laugh at the elder Winchester’s almost desperately hopeful expression.

 

“I dunno yet, son. Lemme have a look at ‘em first.” The Cajun slammed the door of his car and marched off towards the house, leaving an amused Bobby and somewhat stunned brothers to chase after him.

 

By the time the other men caught up with him, Hugh was in the living room, kneeling by the playpen that confined the shrunken Angels. Gabriel was eyeing the grizzled old man suspiciously, and it didn’t escape anyone’s notice that he had placed himself between the unknown man and the raven-winged infant behind him. 

 

“Hooboy, you went an’ got caught up in some serious dark magic, didn’t ya?” Sam scooped up the sandy-haired toddler and popped him on his hip.

 

“Gabe, this is Hugh. He’s here to help you and Cas, ok? He’s a friend.” Sam wasn’t sure how much either angel understood, but it couldn’t hurt to talk to them like they got it. Gabriel scowled and sucked his thumb, staring at the unfamiliar human. Dean surreptitiously passed Hugh a cherry red sucker, which the Cajun offered to the child. Decision made, Gabriel flung himself towards the man, golden wings flapping uselessly as he stretched to reach the treat. Hugh caught him, laughing uproariously as he spun the toddler around. Gabriel shrieked and giggled.

 

Stunned, Dean and Sam stared at the battered, slightly wild looking man. Hugh just laughed harder. “Boys, I raised four youngins of my own an’ adopted another. My chil’ren gave me almost a dozen granbabies. I know how to win this youngster over.” He handed over the sucker, which Gabriel promptly began gnawing on. While the child was distracted, Hugh pressed two fingers to his temple. The Archangel trilled in surprise, and Sam started forward.

 

“Easy, son. I ain’t gonna hurt your mate, now. I jus’ needed to see what’s goin’ on. You boys’re in it up to your ears! How’d you go messin’ with a Shadow Man this far North?” 

 

Bobby cocked his head. “Shadow Man?” 

 

“Sure ‘nough. Deep Bayou hoodoo goin’ on, here. Old, old magic. Old as the swamps, themselves.” Hugh nodded, bouncing the toddler on his hip as though to punctuate his point. “If a human had been caught up in a Shadow Man’s magic…” He drew a finger across his throat theatrically. Sam and Dean shuddered. “But your angels went an’ threw a wrench in it. They had their energy drained, but no Shadow Man could hope to kill an Angel.” 

 

Hugh was cut off by Castiel squalling. Dean instantly scooped him up, propping him against his chest. He absentmindedly stroked the tiny black feathers.

 

“So what do we do?” Dean was sick of his mate being a helpless infant. Hugh sighed.

 

“Ain’t nothing  _ to _ do, son.” Dean paled, and Sam sucked in a shocked breath.

 

“You mean they’re stuck like that?” Bobby gestured at the kids. The Cajun man shook his head.

 

“Easy, brother. I didn’ say that. There ain’t anything for it but time. They already gatherin’ their Grace back to ‘em. The more they get, the faster they’ll get big again.”

 

Dean heaved a sigh. “So we wait it out. Fantastic.” From his spot on the couch, Sam gave a low groan. The other three men turned to look at him, and Hugh’s expression took on a dark quality.

 

“Son, you hurtin’?” The younger Winchester nodded, rubbing his temples for what felt like the hundredth time.

 

“My head. Ever since I pulled the Houdini act, my head has been killing me.” Hugh’s eyebrows knitted as he touched Sam’s temple. Suddenly, he barked a laugh.

 

“That’s your problem, child! You full of that Archangel’s Grace! When the Shadow Man got blasted apart, all that Grace rebounded on the closest part of your bond it could find-  _ you. _ Your head feels like it’s gonna explode ‘cause it ain’t used to all that power. You let it go back to him, you stop hurting an’ he’ll grow.”

 

Dean cuddled the infant angel closer. “What about Cas? I’ve never been able to use his Grace.” 

 

Hugh hummed. “If we get the Archangel back to normal, he could fix your Cas.” Gabriel trilled again, as if he agreed. 

 

“So how do I give Gabe his Grace back?” Sam reached for his mate, and the little boy went willingly. He cuddled into Sam’s massive arms, resting his head on the broad chest. 

 

“I think it’ll go back to ‘im on it’s own. Jus’ keep ‘im close.” Sam’s arms tightened a little and he nodded. Gabriel patted his cheek with a little hand. 

 

Throughout the day, Gabriel seemed to glue himself to Sam. He very rarely left his mate’s side, preferring to tuck himself under the human’s broad arms or ride around on his shoulders. There was a moment of gut-wrenching panic when Gabriel had flung himself off, his fluffy, down-covered wings flapping vigorously as he plummeted downwards. Bobby lunged to catch him, but at the last moment, Gabe’s wings stretched out and he swooped back up, chirping and trilling almost smugly when he clumsily landed on the sofa. The midget Archangel clapped his hands and gestured for Sam to pick him up again. The human scooped him up, only to have his mate launch himself into the air again, this time gliding down in a controlled descent. 

 

Gabriel seemed to grow right before their eyes after he regained his ability to fly. Between lunch and dinner, the Archangel grew an inch or more, his wings filled out and started losing their downy quality, and he started babbling at them in baby talk.

 

“Sam! Sam-sam-sam-sam-sammy!” Gabriel chorused, reaching for his favorite human again. Sam scooped him up and cradled the growing toddler against his chest, noting that his headache seemed to lessen a little when he was in contact with his angel.

 

“Bed time, squirt.” Sam booped the pint-sized Archerald’s nose, causing him to go cross eyed and scrunch his nose up. 

 

“No!” Gabriel pouted. Bobby chuckled.

 

“That  _ would _ be one of his first words, right after “Sam” and “candy”.” The old man scoffed. At the mention of candy, Gabriel’s blond curls whipped around.

 

“Candy?” He pleaded, his bottom lip sticking out. Sam shook his head and started for the stairs.

 

“Not tonight, Gabe. Tomorrow. Come on, I’ll lay down with you.” Sam ignored the squalling Archangel as he made for the stairs. The other men chorused ‘good night’, Dean rocking a sleeping Castiel in his arms and humming Hey Jude softly.

 

Once he had Gabriel bundled into a set of blue footed pyjamas with a cartoon corgi on the front, he snuggled into bed with his miniature angel tucked against his side. He kissed the mop of blond curls.

 

“Get big again, Gabe. I miss you.” He whispered as sleepy amber eyes drifted shut.


	21. My Wish

Going to sleep cuddling a toddler and waking up to a pre-schooler pouncing on your chest was extremely disconcerting, Sam realized. Gabriel had shot up several inches overnight, and his golden curls now reached his shoulders. His wings were flapping like crazy as he bounced up and down on Sam’s sternum.

 

“Sammy! Wake up, wake up, wake  _ up!” _ He squealed with every bounce.

 

Sam groaned. “Gabe, stop that! You're hurting me!” Instantly, the little boy froze. His face fell and his huge, whiskey-colored eyes welled up with tears. 

 

“I’s sorry, Sammy…” He whimpered, bottom lip quivering. Sam felt about two inches tall as he gathered the blubbering child into his arms, kissing his hair as he apologized for yelling. Once Gabe was calm, Sam hefted the boy into his arms and headed downstairs, following the enticing smell of pancakes.

 

“Good morning, sunshine!” Dean called teasingly, but he stumbled in surprise when he spotted the not-quite-as-shrunken Archangel. Likewise, Sam’s jaw dropped when he realized what Dean was wearing. He had tied the sleeves of an old flannel shirt together and draped it across his body from one shoulder to the opposite hip as a makeshift sling. Castiel’s miniature bed head peeked out of it. The Seraph hadn't grown any overnight. Dean’s face fell.

 

“Dean, Gabe’ll know how to fix him. Don't worry.” Sam patted his big brother’s shoulder reassuringly. Gabriel squealed and reached for Cas, but Dean snatched the infant away. Gabe instantly started trilling and chirping in anger.

 

“Cassie! Gimme Cassie! Wanna hold Cassie!” The infuriated child shrieked, his face going red. Bobby clapped his hands over his ears and shouted over the din.

 

“For God’s sake, let the kid hold his brother!” The old hunter barked. Sam sat down on the floor and held Gabriel in his lap.

 

“Ok, ok! Easy, Gabriel!” Dean eyed the little boy dubiously but pulled Cas out of his sling and passed him to Sam’s waiting hands. Sam brought the infant down into Gabriel’s arms, keeping his hands on both of them. As though someone had hit the mute button, Gabriel quieted down. He stroked his baby brother’s hair reverently and pressed a soft kiss to the tiny angel’s forehead. 

 

“Cassie…” Gabriel murmured, snuggling him protectively. Dean made a soft choking noise and whipped his phone out for a picture.

 

Bobby sighed softly. “It’s like seeing you two little all over again.” The gruff old man was smiling with a far away look in his eyes. Even Hugh was watching the scene with a nostalgic air. Ever do delicately, Gabriel stood up and offered the baby back to Dean. 

“Thank you, Bean.” The Archangel said seriously. 

 

Sam snickered. “Yeah,  _ Bean _ .” Bobby guffawed.

 

“I wouldn't be so quick to laugh, son. You called him the same thing.” Sam’s ears went pink as Dean laughed at him.

 

Gabriel scrambled into a chair at the table and snatched up a fork. “Syrup!” He cried, smacking the fork on the table. When nobody moved fast enough, he lunged for the Aunt Jemima bottle. Hugh snatched it out of his reach.

 

“Slow down, child! You need pancakes to go with that syrup.” A plate was presented to the Archangel, and peace reigned while he stuffed his face.

 

As the day wore on, Gabriel’s accelerated growth spurt continued, and it seemed to wear on his good mood. Bobby demanded that the Winchester brothers help him out in the scrap yard, but the moment Sam tried to put the Archangel down and head outside, Gabe had a complete meltdown.

 

“No! NO! Sammy! MY Sam! Sam no go!” Gabriel stomped his feet and clung to Sam’s leg, dissolving into tears and bird trills in his distress. Sam instantly relented, scooping the little boy up and letting him bury his face in the man’s shoulder.

 

“I think he needs a nap.” Dean remarked. Bobby made a shooing gesture at the younger Winchester, who toted the still whimpering child upstairs with a long suffering sigh. Gabriel was snoring softly by the time Sam scrunched himself into the too-small bed with the puny Archangel pressed against his side. His last thought before drifting off was to wonder who he was going to wake up to.

***************

 

Sam startled awake at a knock on his door. He lept up and yanked the door open to find Dean holding a very muddy eight-year-old by his ear.

 

“Here. I caught  _ this _ outside, wallowing in a mud pit. Have fun.” Dean stomped off, cooing to the infant strapped to his chest. Sam stared at the wayward little boy in shock. Not only had he snuck out of bed without alerting Sam, he had gotten all the way outside alone!

 

“Gabriel! What were you doing outside by yourself? You could have been hurt!” Sam scolded. Gabriel fixed him with a mulish expression. 

 

“I just wanted to play. Cas is too little and I got bored.” The sullen pout he was wearing was simultaneously the most adorable and annoying thing Sam had ever seen. The brunette rubbed his palms over his eyes. 

 

“Don't go outside alone. Ask one of us to go with you.” Sam glared sternly. “Come on, let's get you cleaned off.” Ignoring the protests from the filthy child, Sam dragged him to the bathroom and started the shower running. He pulled the squirming kid’s shirt off.

 

“I can do it!” Gabriel snapped. Sam held his hands up in surrender. 

 

“Fine, just get in and wash off. Use the soap by the tap. Do you want help with your wings?” Gabriel shook his head grumpily. “Ok. Here's a towel. Call me if you need me.” Sam ducked out of the bathroom and trotted down the stairs.

 

“How's parenthood treating ya?” Bobby snickered from the couch. Sam groaned.

 

“Remind me to never reproduce. I'll stick with having a dog.” He grumbled as he snatched a beer from the six pack on the coffee table. 

 

“Hang in there, boy. The rate he’s growin’, you'll have your man back in a day or two.” Hugh propped his feet up on the table, only to be kicked down by Bobby.

 

“This ain’t a barn, Beazley. Act like a human.” The Cajun gestured at the other man with his beer bottle.

 

“That's rich comin’ from you, Singer.” Hugh chortled. The two older men bickered back and forth for a few minutes, but there was no heat behind it. 

 

“Sam?” A small voice called from upstairs. “I need help…” Sam leapt up and took the stairs three at a time. In the bathroom, he found a shamefaced eight-year-old, covered in suds . His wings were still caked in mud. “I can't reach my feathers.” The little boy mumbled.

 

Sam shooed him back into the shower and rolled up his sleeves before snagging the sponge from its hook. 

 

“Turn around, Gabe.” He carefully soaped up the golden feathers before pulling the detachable shower head down and rinsing them clean. Replacing the head, he turned the water off and extended the fluffy towel. “Come here, I'll help you dry them, too.” The downtrodden little angel nodded mutely, allowing Sam to soak up as much of the water from the wings as he could. Once he was dry and dressed, Sam delicately straightened the feathers out so that they lay straight. 

 

“ ‘M sorry, Sammy…” Gabriel whispered. 

 

Sam froze. “For what?” He asked carefully. 

 

“For being so useless.” The human instantly swept him up in a tight hug.

 

“Gabe, sweetie, you're not useless. What made you think that?” He stroked up and down the little boys back comfortingly, and Gabriel melted into the embrace.

 

“Cos I'm little and I know I should be able to do everything and I just can't! I can't remember how! It's all foggy up here and I just can't do  _ anything!” _ Gabriel’s voice climbed in frustration until he was shouting.

 

“Baby, it's ok! You'll get there. You're getting so big, you'll be yourself again before you know it. Whatever is so foggy in your head, leave it alone. It'll come back on it’s own, ok?” Gabriel looked very dubious. “Do you trust me?” Sam asked. The pint sized Archangel nodded vigorously. “Then don't worry.”

 

Gabriel smiled up at him adoringly. “Love my Sammy.” He stated, nodding with all the conviction that only a small child could come up with. Sam’s heart broke as he cuddled his mate close. 

 

“And I love you, Gabriel.”

 

************

 

It seemed that while he was awake, the growth spurts slowed down. Gabriel was still elementary school sized by the time dinner rolled around, although Sam privately thought that he might be a bit taller. The little boy wolfed down his hamburger and fries as though they were going out of style and begged for seconds. Bobby forked over another serving, and the adults watched in a mix of amusement and horror as he devoured the second helping, then went after a popsicle on top of it all.

 

“Growin’ boys need their food.” The older hunter justified. Sam shook his head.

 

“ _ We _ never got double servings of burgers and extra popsicles.” He gave an exaggerated pout, and Bobby threw a bottle top at him.

 

“ _ You _ never grew a foot and a half in less than twenty-four hours, either.”  

 

Gabriel watched the exchange between his mate and his mate’s father figure while gnawing on the popsicle. He looked down at the grape-flavored treat in his hands, then back up at Sam before trotting over and presenting the tall man with the sticky mess. 

 

“Share?” The amber-eyed boy asked, and Sam nearly melted into a puddle of goo at the cuteness in front of him. He obligingly took a nibble of the frozen sugar water, hiding his grimace at the overly sweet taste. Gabriel flashed him a grin full purple-stained teeth and went back to devouring his treat. When he was finished, Sam tried to wash the boy’s sticky face and hands before letting him go run around in the scrubby patch of grass that passed for Bobby’s front lawn. The adults settled down on the porch, drinking beer and taking turns holding the dozing infant Castiel. The sun was setting by the time Gabriel had exhausted himself. He took one more flying leap off of Hugh’s Land Cruiser, gliding nimbly to the porch, before ensconcing himself in Sam’s lap again. 

 

“You sleepy, Gabe?” Sam asked against the mop of flaxen hair in his face. Gabriel nodded, not even bothering to hide a huge yawn. “Come on, then. Bedtime. Tell everyone ‘goodnight’.”

 

“G’night!” Gabriel chirped, waving at them over Sam’s shoulder as the man scooped him up. The other three waved back. Sam toted the boy up the stairs and tossed him onto the bed, getting a giggle when he bounced. The human wrestled his miniature mate into a much too large shirt to sleep in and stuffed him under the blankets after a tickle fight. Gabriel purred happily and cuddled into Sam’s side, getting a grin out of the much larger man. 

 

“See you in the morning, Gabe.” The little boy was already snoring.

 

****************

 

Sam woke up on disoriented and on edge. In the early pre-dawn glow, he could see the outline of his bedmate. Gabriel had grown again, but it was difficult to tell how much in the dim light. The boy was octopussed around him with one leg thrown over both of Sam’s. As his eyes adjusted, he got a good look at his mate. Gone was the adorable chubbiness and smooth skin of a small child, and in their place were lanky cheeks smattered with peach fuzz. Gabriel shifted in his sleep, and Sam was suddenly made  _ very _ aware of what age his mate was at.

 

“Shit.” Sam muttered under his breath. Logically, he’d known that this was bound to happen. Gabriel was aging on fast-forward and had jumped from childhood straight into puberty literally overnight. Delicately, he extricated himself from the increasingly uncomfortable position and made for the door.

 

“Sam?” Came a sleepy voice. Sam sighed.

 

“I’m going to go get a shower, Gabe. I’ll see you downstairs.” The Winchester beat a hasty retreat into the bathroom, firing up the shower and jumping in while it was still cold. He stood under the icy blast until he had his traitorous body under control again, then decided to wash his hair since he was already in the shower anyways. 

 

Later, he joined Dean in the kitchen for a cup of coffee. His big brother was feeding Castiel his morning bottle. Cas was still just as tiny as he had been the previous day, and Dean looked even more dejected as he cared for his helpless husband. 

 

“How’s short, blond, and sassy?” Dean asked as he burped the infant expertly. Sam huffed a mirthless laugh.

 

“Less short, just as blond, and pubescent.” 

 

Dean choked on his coffee. “Oh shit. This I gotta see!” 

 

“It’s not funny. Waking up next to a thirteen-year-old made me feel dirty.” Sam grouched, and Dean visibly winced.

 

“He didn’t…” The elder brother made some sort of vague hand gesture, and Sam nodded grimly. “Oh shit, he  _ did!” _ Dean cackled, earning a disgruntled glare from the infant in the crook of his arm. “Oh that is just fucking  _ priceless!” _ The green-eyed man threw his head back, shaking with mirth.

 

“Dean, it’s not fucking funny. It’s all sorts of fucked up and wrong. He’s a  _ kid _ still! And he obviously doesn’t remember me as his mate, so that makes it even worse!” Dean instantly sobered.

 

“Shit, Sammy. I didn’t think about that. Fuck, I feel like an ass now.” Sam sighed and rubbed his temples. “Your head still hurting?”

 

“Not nearly as badly. I can ignore it most of the time, now. The bigger Gabe gets, the less it hurts. I think Hugh was right, it’s because all of his Grace ended up in me.” 

 

“Just hang in there, ok? It can’t be much longer, now. If he’s hit that point of growing up, adulthood can’t be far off, right?” Dean tried to encourage his little brother. Sam nodded.

 

“Yeah, but what if he’s got to get all the way to the same age his vessel used to be? He was what, 35ish? I think I might hang myself.” Sam’s head hit the table with a thunk. 

 

“Dude, he went from diapers to boners in forty-eight hours. Chill out. At least he’s not a baby, still.” Dean said pointedly, gesturing to the bundle of black down and hair snuggled against him. Sam just groaned.

 

Bobby and Hugh joined them a few minutes later. Hugh had slept out on the porch in a hammock, citing his general distaste for being indoors. Bobby called him an uncultured swamp man, which was met with a piece of toast upside the head. Sam gave them the very abridged version of Gabriel’s growth progress.

 

“Is he still sleeping?” Bobby asked around a mouthful of toast. 

 

Hugh made a slightly disgusted noise. “And you call  _ me _ the uncultured one, brother. If he grew that much in one night, the boy needs to rest.” 

 

In true teenage fashion, it was noon before Gabriel made an appearance. He had obviously rifled through Sam’s stuff for clothes, because the shirt he had on hung almost to his knees and the sweat pants were rolled up. Squinting at him, Sam realized that he had aged even more during his extended rest. 

 

Gabriel stumbled over to the coffee pot, his eyes unfocused, and Dean elbowed Sam in the ribs. “Dude, your man was freaking  _ adorable _ at that age. What happened to your sorry ass?” Sam kicked him. 

 

“I’m sorry, I was too busy being taller than you to devote much energy to being adorable.” Dean pulled a bitch face. “He shot up again. When I first woke up, I’d have pegged him for 13 or 14. That’s got to be 15 or 16.” Sam noted. 

 

“So the more he sleeps, the faster he grows?” Bobby surmised.

 

“You’re aware that I’m standing  _ right here, _ right? I’m not a freaking exhibit at the zoo.” Gabriel snarked. Dean grinned broadly.

 

“Welcome back, Mister Sarcasm! Any chance you can make Cas catch up to you?” Gabriel closed his eyes, scrunching his nose up as he concentrated, before snarling in frustration.

 

“Fuck! It’s right there, right  _ there, _ and I can’t get a grip on it!” The young man growled.

 

“What’s there?” Bobby prompted.

 

“My Grace! I can feel it, but I can’t use it!” Gabriel slammed the coffee mug down with all the fury that a pissed off teenager was capable of. Sam cautiously offered him a hug, which was accepted after a moment of hesitation. Gabriel theatrically thumped his head off his mate’s collarbone several times. “I’m sorry, Dean-o.” He mumbled into Sam’s shirt. 

 

Dean was quick to reassure him. “Gabe, it’s ok. We’ve made it this long, Cas can handle being a baby for another day or two. Can’t ya, buddy?” Dean cooed at the baby angel on his lap. Gabriel extricated himself from Sam’s grip and slowly approached his brother-in-law.

 

“Can I…?” The Archangel held his hands out, and Dean transferred the infant Cas over. Gabriel held him close to his chest. “I never got to see him this little…” Gabriel murmured, petting Castiel’s hair. Castiel blinked owlishly up at him and trilled, causing the older angel to break into a huge grin.

 

“Atta boy, Cassie!” He laughed as he passed the baby back to Dean. Everyone looked at him in confusion. 

 

“It’s just bird noises, Gabe.” Dean said, eyeing the Archangel like he had lost his mind. Gabriel returned the incredulous look.

 

“‘Just bird noises’? Angels don’t make bird noises! That was Enochian baby talk! He asked for you, so I gave him back.” Dean’s jaw dropped and he instantly cuddled his mate tightly to his chest. 

 

“He knows who I am?” Dean sounded like he might cry.

 

“Not by name, but yes. Baby-babble in Enochian translates to feelings and images. You’re the Impala, and something that sounds like warm-safe-love. Now excuse me while I go puke from all the cuteness.” The teenager pretended to gag at the smitten look Dean was giving his miniaturized mate. Cas reached up with an uncoordinated hand and managed to yank Dean’s nose, getting a collective  _ ‘awww’ _ from the group of seasoned hunters. 

 

Gabriel pulled a face. “Screw this sappy crap, I’m going back to bed.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song for this chapter: My Wish by Rascal Flats


	22. Moondance (reprise)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience!!! I've been extremely sick recently and just haven't had the energy to work on anything but getting better.

Sam was in trouble. Big, big Trouble, with a capital T. The younger Winchester brother had suddenly found himself to be the object of a teenaged Archangel’s affections, and like his elder self, this younger, more hormonal Gabriel was absolutely single-minded in his pursuit. The increasingly distressed mooseman did his best to dodge his mate’s groping hands, but by the time early evening rolled around, he was nearly exhausted. The other three men were no help. In fact, they seemed to find the whole situation hysterically funny.

 

“Gabriel, I said  _ no!”  _ Sam hissed for what felt like the hundredth time. Gabriel had cornered him in Bobby’s kitchen and had him caged against the counter with his golden wings. 

 

“Oh come on, Samshine. Quit being such a prude.” Gabriel made another attempt to lean in for a kiss, and Sam had never been more grateful for his height as he dodged again. The young Angel pouted. “Why are you being like this? I know you want it, I see how you look at me.” Too slow to catch his questing hands, Sam hissed as Gabriel’s fingertips dipped under his waistband and cupped his ass, brushing against the edges of Sam’s mating marks.  

 

Sam slapped the teens hand away. “ _ STOP,  _ Gabriel!” He snarled as she shoved the smaller being back a step. Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest, his expression defiant and his feathers fluffed up to max volume in his anger.

 

“Why?! I want you, and you can't tell me that it's not mutual!” Gabriel barked back, his amber wings snapping out into an aggressive posture. 

 

“Because you're not  _ you!  _ You're Gabriel, but you're not  _ my _ Gabriel! You don't remember  _ anything _ about this, about  _ us! _ You're a horny teenager, mentally and physically, and the thought of touching you like that makes me feel sick!” Sam ranted at him, voice growing louder and louder until he was shouting. “Whatever that shadow man whammied you with stripped you of your memory! And until you remember everything we were, I’m not laying a fucking finger on you!” He shouldered past the teen and made a break for the salvage yard, leaving a very confused Archangel in his wake.

 

Sam sprinted through the yard, running blindly and letting his feet carry him through paths he had committed to memory over twenty years ago. His thoughts swirled over and over in his head, twisting round and in on himself until all of the pent up frustration, anger, and fear of the past few days came crashing down on him with the force of a tidal wave. Sam threw himself into the rusted out remains of an ancient Volkswagen van and curled up on the shag carpet, shaking and fighting tears of frustration. Some time later, a soft knock at the door jarred him out of his reverie.

 

“I thought I’d find you out here.” Bobby was leaning against the rusted hull. Sam didn’t even lift his head off of his knees. “You wanna talk about what just happened?” The older hunter jammed his hands into his pockets, settling in for the argument he was anticipating.

 

Sam heaved a sigh. “I don’t know what to do. He’s all over me, and it makes me feel like some creepy old pervert. I just want my mate back.” Bobby rubbed the back of his neck, taking in the miserable sight his adopted son made. Sam appeared to shrink inwards on himself with his arms wrapped around his knees. His cheeks were smudged with dirt and grime, obviously from having wiped his eyes repeatedly. Overall, he looked like a kicked puppy, and it made the older man’s heart clench. 

 

“Come ‘ere, boy.” Bobby held his arms out, and was mildly surprised when the younger Winchester threw himself into them. The deep, shuddering breath Sam took spoke volumes about how utterly exhausted and overwhelmed he was, and Bobby did the only thing he could think of- he folded the man he had raised into a bone crushing hug, holding him like he hadn’t since Sam had turned thirteen and suddenly become allergic to affection. 

 

“Listen, Sam. That kid in there, he  _ is _ your mate. He just needs reminding.” Bobby patted the younger of his boys on the back. “Come on, now. You can’t hide out here forever.” Sam groaned, but nodded against Bobby’s shoulder. He stepped back and drew in a steadying breath. 

 

“Alright, alright. I’ll go play happy homemaker with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Archangel. But you’re fitting the bill for my therapist.” Bobby chuckled and started for the house.

 

To Sam’s surprise, Gabriel was nowhere to be found. Dinner came and went without a single sighting of the winged teen, and Sam was becoming increasingly worried. Neither Dean nor Hugh had anything to say about his whereabouts, leaving Sam to hunt high and low for his wayward mate.

 

On his fourth pass around the house, Sam was startled by a single golden feather drifting down to land in his hair. He gave an exasperated sigh when he looked up and discovered Gabriel laying on the roof, idly preening his wings. The Winchester set his shoulders.

 

“Gabe, come down here please? We need to talk.” Gabriel ignored him and rolled to put his back to the human. “Come on Gabe. I asked nicely.” The Archangel pulled an Ipod and headphones out of his pocket. “Dammit, Gabriel! Stop being a moody teenager and get down here!” On went the headphones, and Sam could hear him blasting Black Sabbath even from the ground.“Fine, if you won’t come down, I’ll come up there.” Sam grouched and stomped over to the porch, breaking into a jog as he approached. He jumped, kicking off the wall to boost himself high enough to get a grip on the edge of the roof, and hauled himself up. Unimpressed by the display of brute strength, Gabriel pretended to ignore the other man. Sam rolled his eyes as he reached over and snatched the headphones off Gabriel’s ears.

 

“Fuck off, Winchester.” Gabriel spat, making a grab for the headphones. Sam held them well out of his reach.

 

“No. We need to talk, dammit.” 

 

The ArchHerald rolled his eyes. “Oh,  _ now _ you want to talk?” 

 

Sam sighed heavily. “Yes, Gabriel. I want to talk. Please?” Gabriel rolled to face him, glaring hard enough that if he had access to his Grace, Sam would have been seriously worried about being smote where he sat. 

 

“So, talk.” Gabriel was still glaring at him. Instead, Sam stretched out on his back beside his shrunken mate, close enough to feel his warmth but not quite touching. The human steeled himself and reached for Gabriel’s hand and was pleasantly surprised when the angel allowed him to take it. Sam stared up at the darkening sky, watching as the first few stars started to appear. Slowly, he started talking, his voice breaking with the force of everything.

 

“Gabriel, you’ve got to understand. You have no idea what you mean to me, what we have, and it’s killing me. I just want you back to your normal self, with your memory intact. You’ve got to understand what this has been like for me. Seeing you this young, and still feeling the way I do about you...it makes me feel filthy, like some creepy uncle who likes to cop a feel whenever he’s around the kids. You don’t remember anything about us, you’re just reacting to stupid teenage hormones, and every time you come on to me, it’s getting harder and harder to resist. I just… I need you to be  _ you. _ I need you to remember this, remember us.” Sam felt the being next to him shift and rolled to look at him. Gabriel was smiling at him. No, not smiling.  _ Smirking. _ His eyes glinted amber in the rapidly fading light.

 

“Oh, Samshine. You’re gonna break my heart with that little speech.” The young angel teased, grinning even wider as Sam boggled at him.

 

“...Gabe?” The human breathed. Sam’s hand hung there between them, his fingers twitching in an aborted attempt to reach for his mate. 

 

“The one and only.” Gabriel closed the gap, pressing his cheek into Sam’s palm. The younger Winchester snatched his hand back as if burned.

 

“You remember?” Gabriel’s blond curls bounced up and down in a nod. “Prove it.” Sam whispered. “Prove you’re not just fucking with me.” Gabriel’s smirk turned tender, and he leaned in close, pulling the resisting human into a hug. He pressed his lips to the shell of Sam’s ear and sang softly.

_ “Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love _

_ Can I just make some more romance with you, my love” _

 

Sam made a sound that he would deny to his dying breath was a sob as he threw his arms around the young Archangel. Gabriel held him tightly, rubbing up and down his mate’s back.

 

“How?  _ When?!” _ Sam asked, torn between relief that his mate was at least mentally himself again and hurt that he hadn’t been told immediately. 

 

“Right about the time you ran out of the kitchen. As for how, I think it was because I touched these.” The teen’s hands shifted from Sam’s spine to the denim-clad globes of his ass, fitting his fingers directly over the mating brands. “Everything came rushing back, and I passed out.” Gabriel looked rueful.

 

Sam gave him a bitchface. “So why the damned disappearing act?” Gabriel winced.

 

“Can you really blame me? You had just said that touching me makes you feel sick, then you bolted. I’m still kinda stuck as a teenager. Hormones are a bitch.” Sam gave a somewhat wet sounding chuckle against Gabriel’s neck. The pair held each other for several long moments before Sam sat back.

 

“So, what about your Grace? Can you change back?” The hopeful look in his eyes was almost too much to take.

 

Gabriel shook his head. “Still bupkis. I can feel it, but it’s locked away somehow.” He rested his forehead against Sam’s with a frustrated groan. “Christ and all his disciples, I want to kiss you right now.” The Archangel grumbled, getting a small laugh out of the other man. Sam closed the small gap between them and pressed a soft, chaste kiss to his mate’s lips. Almost instantly, Gabriel tried to deepen the kiss, flicking his tongue against Sam’s closed lips, but the human drew away with a sigh.

 

“Gabe… Yes, it’s  _ you _ in there, but you’re still wearing a seventeen-year-old and I’m staring down the barrel of thirty. Icky pedo-uncle feelings, remember?” Gabriel groaned in frustration. Sam carefully rearranged them so that Gabriel was sitting between his bent legs with his back to the human’s chest. The Archangel’s wings stretched out to either side, hooked lazily over Sam’s thighs. The Winchester’s arms fell around his mate’s hips and they laced their fingers together. Sam’s breath huffed against the shell of Gabriel’s ear as he sang soft and low.

 

_ “Well, I want to make love to you tonight _

_ I can't wait 'til the morning has come _

_ And I know that the time is just right _

_ And straight into my arms you will run _

_ And when you come my heart will be waiting _

_ To make sure that you're never alone _

_ There and then all my dreams will come true, dear _

_ There and then I will make you my own _

_ And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside _

_ And I know how much you want me that you can't hide” _

 

Gabriel shivered as his body reacted to his mate’s warm embrace and gravel-deep voice. He knew what that voice meant, how could he not after all this time? The young angel shifted his hips back a little, and was rewarded with a soft hiss when he came into contact with Sam’s hard flesh. He picked up the final notes of what had become their song.

 

_ “One more moondance with you in the moonlight _

_ On a magic night _

_ La, la, la la in the moonlight _

_ On a magic night _

_ Can’t I just have one more dance with you, my love” _

 

“Gabe…” Sam whispered, and Gabriel’s admittedly weak control snapped. He rose up to his knees and spun around, using the added strength from his wings to push Sam to the shingles under them. He surged forward, pressing a needy kiss to his mate’s lips as he straddled the man beneath him. Sam groaned into it and tangled his hands into the angel’s wild hair, forgetting himself for a few desperate heartbeats as Gabriel plundered his mouth.

 

The human’s eyes snapped open and he tried to push his mate away. “Gabe, I can’t do this.” He ground out even as his body betrayed him and his hips tried to buck up against Gabriel. The young Archangel stripped his shirt off, and Sam noted with surprise that his wings just phased through the fabric. Had he been able to do that before? His thought pattern came to a screeching halt when Gabriel ripped a long strip of fabric off the t-shirt and bound his mate’s eyes with it.

 

“That’s the problem, Samoose. You’re relying on what you  _ see _ to tell you how to act. Quit looking and just listen.  _ Feel.  _ It’s still me, still your mate. And I’m going to prove it.” Gabriel dove back down for another scorching kiss, moaning softly when Sam yielded. The angel’s hands were everywhere at once- tugging his mate’s hair, stroking his cheek, fumbling with Sam’s button down, and touching every inch of skin he could reach. In his growing desperation to have Sam naked, Gabriel accidentally tore a button off, and Sam snickered when he realized what had happened.

 

“Easy, Gabe.” The human sat up and shrugged out of the remains of his flannel, then hauled his undershirt off for good measure. Gabriel was on him again in an instant, exploring the miles and miles of newly exposed skin with both fingers and lips. Sam groaned softly when Gabriel sucked a hickey over his hipbone before moving on to shove Sam’s jeans and boxers down to his knees. The golden-haired man ground against his mate and Sam hissed in pleasure-pain at the scrape of denim on his swollen cock. His fingers found the button and zip by memory and wrenched them down.

 

Gabriel groaned in relief as the too-tight cloth fell away. He quickly returned to his position between Sam’s splayed legs, rutting against him again. Twin moans broke the silence as they moved together in the moonlight. Gabriel was gasping for breath, panting against Sam’s throat, and he keened when Sam spat into his palm and gripped both of their cocks in one huge hand, jacking them together. The Archangel was rocketing towards the edge, a combination of teenage hormones and pent up frustration giving him an almost hair trigger.

 

“Sammy… come on!” He ground out, gritting his teeth against the urge to come. He shifted his hands to grip the older man’s ass, canting his mate’s hips up a little more. Gabriel fitted his fingers over the mating brands, his hips never stopping their almost desperate thrusts. Sam moaned in response and released their dicks. He buried his fingers in the angel’s wings and found his own handprints there, right at the most sensitive point where the limbs erupted from his mate’s back.

 

The second Sam’s fingers made contact with the brands, his orgasm hit him with all the force of a freight train. He buried his face against the column of Gabriel’s throat and cried out, his vision whiting out behind the makeshift blindfold. The Archangel hit his peak in the same heartbeat, spilling between their stomachs with a choked off curse before collapsing bonelessly.

 

*****************

Sam came to slowly, stretching and enjoying the ache of well-used muscles. He idly stroked the golden feathers that were blanketing him against the chill of the night air. The human carefully removed the blindfold and turned his head to look at his mate. He gave a joyful whoop, startling the Archangel awake, before peppering Gabriel’s familiar adult face with kisses.

 

“Sammy, what the hell?” Gabriel grouched.

 

“You’re back! You’re  _ you _ again!” Instantly the cranky frown slid away, and Gabriel burst into a grin that stretched from ear to ear. He raised his hand and experimentally clicked his fingers, and a Snickers bar appeared in his hand.

 

“Hells yeah! Sam, you did it! You fixed me! You and your magical cock gave me my Grace back!” Sam slapped him upside the back of his head.

 

“Magical cock? Really, Gabe?” He smothered his mate in kisses, too thrilled to have him back the way he should be to actually be irked by the stupid joke. Another click, and they were dressed and standing on the porch. Gabriel tugged at his mate’s hand enthusiastically, reminding the human of the angel’s toddler form.

  
“Come on, come on! Let’s go already! I’ve got a baby brother to fix!” 


	23. It's No Good

After everything they had been through that week, Gabriel returning his baby brother to his rightful age was almost anticlimactic. The newly restored Archangel strode into Bobby’s living room, all smirks and self-satisfaction, and booped the tiny angel on the nose. There was a flash of light that had all of the humans blinking spots from their eyes, and suddenly adult Castiel was sitting on Dean’s lap.

 

Sam gave a relieved sigh, Bobby and Hugh both started talking at once, trying to get answers out of the angels, and Dean ignored them all in favor of kissing his husband soundly. 

 

“Thank you, Gabriel.” Castiel called around his husband’s lips. Gabriel theatrically took a bow.

 

“Alright, alright! Knock it off, you two!” Bobby lobbed a pillow at the couple, an indulgent smile partially hidden under his beard. 

 

Gabriel glanced at the older humans. “Well, it seems that I owe you a serious ‘Thank you, Mr. Beazley.” Hugh scoffed.

 

“Boy, ‘Mr. Beazley’ was my grandpappy. I'm jus’ Hugh.”  The Archangel gave him a crooked smile.

 

“Well, thank you Hugh.” Gabriel finally dragged Castiel out of Dean’s arms and forcibly gave the younger angel a full checkover. Once the Archangel was satisfied that his baby brother had suffered no ill effects from his shrunken state, he hauled Castiel into a headlock and noogied him.

 

“Gabriel!” Castiel yelled, struggling to get free. “This is embarrassing!”

 

Gabriel laughed. “Kinda the point, little bro.” He released Castiel, who quickly retreated towards his husband. “So, now that Cassie is out of diapers for the second time, what in the name of all things chocolate happened?” Sam and Dean gave them the full story, with Bobby and Hugh interjecting their own thoughts and theories. Both angels were left dumbfounded. 

“Seriously? All this shit because some New Orleans hoodoo demon got in a lucky shot?” Gabriel couldn’t wrap his head around such a comparatively low-power creature managing to take out not one but two angels. For fuck’s sake, he was an  _ Archangel. _ Shit like this wasn’t supposed to happen! 

 

Bobby clapped the blond on the shoulder. “Son, everybody gets dropped sometime. Just be grateful that your mate was there to magic you out of there.” Gabriel wheeled around to stare at Sam.

 

“And for that matter,  _ how _ could you possibly have teleported all four of us? Parlor tricks is one thing, but actually transporting four people? You’re getting stronger.” Gabriel’s voice was tinged by some mix of pride and concern. 

 

Sam shrugged. “If it makes you feel better, I was sick as a dog and had a migraine for days after. I don’t think I could do it again, anyways. When that Shadow Man blasted you, all of your Grace rebounded on me. It was a one-time thing.” The younger Winchester rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly ashamed. Gabriel immediately hugged him tight and buried his face in the human’s shirt.

 

“Samshine, I’m beyond proud of you for being able to pull that off, don’t get me wrong. But humans, even psychic ones, were  _ never _ meant to handle that much power. You could have gone nuclear, babe.” Sam relaxed into the embrace and kissed the top of Gabriel’s head. 

 

A pointed cough broke both couples up. “Alright, you idjits. Break it up. We need to figure out what to do about that Shadow Man.”

 

Gabriel’s expression turned dark. “Oh, don’t worry about him. Tomorrow, I’ll pop us back over to the farm. As soon as I’m within smiting distance, I’m burning that barn to the ground. Holy fire should turn that damned thing to ashes.” Golden power danced in the angel’s eyes, and for a moment Sam was reminded very strongly that the creature in his arms was very much  _ not _ human. Gabriel was old beyond reckoning and powerful beyond comprehension. The human suddenly felt very, very small.

 

Noticing Sam’s mental state, Gabriel wrapped his hidden wings around the taller man. Sam couldn’t see them at the moment, but he could certainly feel them. He immediately relaxed into the familiar and comforting embrace. 

 

“For now though, I’d appreciate a beer or four and a steak the size of the coffee table.” Gabriel declared. He raised his hand to snap, but a click of fingers from the couch beat him to it. The archangel burst out laughing when six plates piled high with steak and all the trimmings appeared on the coffee table. Castiel’s lips twitched in an aborted attempt to appear innocent. 

 

“Best baby brother ever!” Gabriel snatched up a plate and dug into the mashed potatoes with his fingers. Sam gave him a disgusted look from over a bottle of Guinness.

 

“What? He forgot the silverware! What else was I supposed to do?”

 

************

 

Late that night, Gabriel lay snuggled against his bondmate. Sam had him wrapped up tightly in his arms. The hunter seemed almost afraid that Gabriel was going to vanish on him again. He stroked the ring on Gabriel’s finger in an almost unconscious gesture. 

 

“Love you, Samshine.” Gabriel murmured against Sam’s sparse chest hair. Sam hummed happily.

 

“Love you too, Gabe.” The Trickster-angel gently ran his nails down Sam’s chest, dancing his fingers down the trail of hair that lead straight to Sam’s cock. Gabriel cupped the soft flesh. Sam hummed approvingly.

 

“Again?” The human teased. It was closing in on two o’clock in the morning, and the pair had been making love off and on since the whole group had disbanded and gone to bed.

 

“Making up for lost time?” Gabriel tried, getting a chuckle from his human. 

 

“You were only out for a few days. You’re just a cockslut.” Sam kissed the angel softly, a smile on his lips. 

 

“Just for  _ your _ cock.” Gabriel was already inching his way down Sam’s body, kissing existing hickies and suckling new ones as he went. Sam buried his hands in Gabriel’s blond locks.

 

“Gabe, I’m not a teenager any more. I don’t think I can get it up four times in one night.” A dark, sin-laced chuckle was his only response before Gabriel’s mouth descended on him. Sam hissed. Goosebumps erupted all over the human’s skin as Gabriel suckled gently. The angel used the slightest hint of Grace to nudge Sam’s blood flow in the right direction and obliterate the prickles of oversensitivity that threatened to make this more pain than pleasure. The taller man sighed and let his body go lax, giving himself completely over to the Archangel’s whims.

 

_ “That’s it, Sammy.” _ Gabriel’s voice echoed through the other man’s mind. He patted Sam’s hip, encouraging him to thrust back into the angel’s retreating mouth. With a low groan, Sam complied. Gabriel hummed his approval when Sam’s rapidly filling cock brushed the back of his throat. 

 

“Fuck, Gabe… oh, shit… you feel so damned good, sweetheart…” Sam sighed. Three previous orgasms had turned the rising pleasure from lightning bolts of heat in his stomach to a low, rolling flame, consuming his whole body. Large fingers groped for Gabriel’s hand and Gabriel twined them into his own. He suckled gently, not teasing but not driving the human to the brink either. He laved at the thick vein that ran up the underside of Sam’s shaft, dipped his tongue into the slit to collect the bitter saline he found there, and dipped to nuzzle and lap Sam’s heavy balls. 

 

Sam was floating, high beyond description on the endorphins coursing through his blood. The angel was playing his body like a piano and all Sam was capable of doing was lay back and enjoy it. His skin was on fire, his very being burning up in the face of the supernova that was his bondmate. 

 

The utter surrender that was seething from every pore of the hunter’s body did incredible things for Gabriel. Sam was a hunter, born and bred, he didn’t give up control like this to just anyone. The angel was honored and humbled by his love’s trust. Slowly, he pulled off Sam’s cock and crept up his body, kissing a trail to Sam’s lips. He captured them in his own. The pair indulged in slow, languid kisses for what felt like forever until Sam’s neglected dick pulsed against Gabriel’s ass. The angel smiled.

 

“My Sam.” He whispered as he sank down, impaling himself on Sam’s thick cock. The Trickster was still loose and slick from their most recent coupling and his body relaxed to accommodate Sam’s length without any resistance. “My love.”

 

Sam drew him down for a tender kiss. “Yes, yours. Always yours, Gabriel.” Gabriel rolled his hips, grinding Sam’s cockhead against his prostate. They moaned in unison. They rocked together, not separating any more than absolutely necessary, and traded whispered words of love and adoration. It was several long heartbeats before Sam gently guided Gabriel off of him. The angel gave him a puzzled look but Sam just kissed him tenderly before carefully positioning the shorter man to lay on his side with his back pressed to Sam’s chest. The Winchester reached down to guide himself back into Gabriel’s body, pressing soft kisses to the nape of his neck as he slid home. 

 

_ “Oh…”  _ Gabriel sighed as Sam sawed across his sweet spot again and again. These slow, measured thrusts were driving him mad, but the angel couldn’t bring himself to protest. The larger man was wrapped all around him, their legs tangled together and Gabriel’s head pillowed on Sam’s arm. Gabriel was absolutely awash in Sam- his scent, the heat from his body, the deep, powerful thrusts that the angel swore he could feel in his throat. 

 

Sam clung to his mate, his nose buried in the angel’s hair as he slowly took him apart at the seams. There was an almost desperate tinge to his voice as he told Gabriel over and over that he loved him, worshiped him, needed him. A droplet hit the back of Gabriel’s neck. He could have shrugged it off as sweat, but they weren’t being wild enough to work one up. His heart clenched and he reached back, brushing his fingers to Sam’s temple.

 

_ “Almost lost him. Can’t lose him. Not again. Love Gabriel so much. Can’t go through this again. I won’t get a lot of time with him as it is….can’t lose him before my time’s up.”  _  Sam’s internal monologue was enough to break Gabriel’s heart. He twisted, arching to meet Sam’s lips.

 

“Samshine… Sam, my love. My heart. My soul. You know you’ll never be rid of me, right? You’ll always have me. Always. You’re mine. I’m yours. Nothing can break an Archangel’s mating bond.  _ Nothing.  _ Not my Dad, not my dickbag brothers, and certainly not some third-rate bayou demon. You’re stuck with me for eternity.” Sam whimpered, fighting tears, and clutched Gabriel even closer. The smaller man bucked back into Sam’s next thrust and ran his hand down to one of the mating marks on Sam’s backside. The contact sparked their bond fully into life and Gabriel poured everything he felt for Sam into it- his love, his adoration, his exasperation at the human’s fear of losing him, his pride at Sam’s mastery of their Grace, and most of all his all-consuming  _ lust _ for the man behind him. Sam’s hips stuttered sharply and his nails dug into the soft flesh of Gabriel’s stomach. The Winchester cried out as he poured his release into Gabriel’s body. A shaking hand found Gabriel’s neglected cock and tugged expertly, and the angel echoed his completion a few heartbeats later.

 

Gabriel went boneless in Sam’s grip. The human was panting against the nape of his neck, though his breathing began to even out quickly. Gabriel smiled indulgently and cuddled back into his mate’s broad chest.

 

“Sam?” Gabriel’s voice was hushed. There was no reply. Gabriel smiled and closed his eyes, letting himself drift off still intimately connected to his love.

 

************

Breakfast the next morning was a busy affair. The correct method of disposing of the Shadow Man was discussed, and plans were made. Hugh loaded up on biscuits and coffee and bid them farewell. The remaining hunters watched his dirty Land Cruiser pull out of the drive, waving until he was out of sight.

 

“So boys, will ya be staying a while longer or are you heading out?” Sam glanced at Dean and the brothers shared one of their wordless conversations.

 

“I’m eager to go dust that demon and get my Baby back, and I’m sure you’re tired of having four houseguests hogging all your hot water and eating all your food.” Bobby popped Dean across the back of the head.

 

“Boy, you’re always welcome here and you know it. Though I might invest in some better soundproofing.” Both brothers went bright red and Gabriel cackled. Castiel scowled at them over his third mug of coffee.

 

“We should get back to the bunker, though.” Sam interjected. “God knows how many messages are going to be waiting for us.” 

 

“Well don’t be strangers, son. What with Angel Airways, you don’t have much of an excuse to not visit.” Bobby collected their empty plates and dumped them in the sink. The Winchesters packed up the little they were taking with them and helped disassemble the unneeded crib. By unspoken consensus, the group met up on the porch for their goodbyes.

 

“Keep in touch.” Bobby clapped Dean on the shoulder and passed Castiel a to-go cup of coffee, which the Seraph actually hugged him for. Bobby chuckled and awkwardly returned the embrace. 

 

“Thanks again, Bobby.” Gabriel called just before he snapped. Bobby stared at the empty porch.

 

“Idjits.” 

 

**********

Gabriel touched down at the abandoned farm right beside the Impala. “Do you want to go reclaim the guns you dropped when Sam pulled his Disapperation trick?”

 

Dean scoffed, but his eyes were hard. “Nerd. No, they’re replaceable. Burn the place to the ground.” Gabriel nodded bruskly and closed his eyes. Instead of snapping, he raised his hands up to sternum height. A ball of light bright enough to make Sam shield his eyes appeared between the angel’s palms. With a few words in Enochian, Gabriel slammed his hands together. The ball exploded with a resounding crack, and the Winchesters stared in astonishment as both the farmhouse and barn detonated into massive fireballs. The inferno burned so hot that both structures were consumed and reduced to ashes in the span of a few heartbeats.

 

Gabriel was staring straight ahead, his eyes blazing, when Sam turned towards him. The hunter called his name softly, but he didn’t reply. 

 

“Gabriel. Gabriel, come back.” Sam tried again, a little louder this time. He gently shook the Archangel. Gabriel jumped as though Sam had shocked him.

 

“Sorry. I haven’t done that in a few millennia.” Castiel glanced over at him, a flash of understanding crossing his face. The younger angel wrapped an arm around the Archangel’s shoulder. 

 

“Sodom and Gomorrah.” Castiel clarified for the humans. Sam took Gabriel’s hand in his and Dean gripped the Trickster’s shoulder from behind.

  
“Let’s go home.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: the lyrics of Depeche Mode's "It' No Good"


	24. Three Way Love Affair

Sam woke up slowly, unwilling to be dragged out of the warm, cozy cocoon of his dreams just yet. He had been dreaming about a certain amber-eyed Trickster, and  _ oh _ had it been a good one. The ball of heat centered in his pelvis told him that it had been damned close to his first wet dream since his teens. Very realistic, too. The hunter could swear that he could still feel the ghost of the angel’s searing hot mouth on his cock… lazily, still more than half asleep, Sam reached down to cup his morning wood-no point letting a good hard on go to waste- and encountered plush lips instead. His back arched and he sucked in a harsh breath.

 

“Oh, good morning to me…” Sam groaned. His eyes still closed, Sam explored the familiar face by touch alone. When his fingers encountered braids instead of loose waves, his eyes finally popped open.

 

“Good morning indeed, my  _ hjarta. _ ” Loki grinned around the head of Sam's cock. Sam bucked his hips, driving a bit more of his shaft into the god’s mouth. Loki obligingly curled his tongue around the hard flesh and suckled. Talented fingers came up to toy with the human's sac, and Sam couldn't hold it. The blazing heat in his gut erupted and the taller man flooded Loki’s mouth with cum which was swallowed down with a delighted noise.

 

The godling crawled his way up Sam's torso and cuddled the man close while he regained control of his breathing. Sam nuzzled their noses together.

 

“Hello, Loki.” The hunter was certainly glad to see his mate’s alter ego, but he privately wondered what had caused them to switch places. Loki kissed his forehead.

 

“Because Gabriel wanted to reassure you that we're both ok after recent events.” 

 

Sam glared at him half-heartedly. “I've told you before to not read my mind.”

 

“And I've told you before that I don't care.” The Trickster’s eyes danced mirthfully. Sam chuckled and rolled the smaller being so he was laying on Sam's broad chest. Loki rested his head there, listening to Sam's heartbeat. The human ran his fingers up and down the other man's tattooed back, faltering a little when he realized that Gabriel's mating marks weren't present.

 

“Mate with me.” Sam's voice was soft but sure, with no hint of a question. Loki grinned broadly up at him. 

 

“Yes,  _ askling _ .” He sat up slowly, pulling Sam with him. He drew a small silver knife out of nowhere and presented it to Sam hilt first. Sam took it, examining the deer antler haft. Buried amongst the twisting Celtic braids was the rune for Loki’s name. He looked up at the god inquisitively.

 

“Pagan bondings are different than angelic ones. When you bonded with Gabriel, you exchanged a piece of soul and Grace. The Pagan way is much more physical. There are two things that we feed off of- sex and blood. We will need both for this.” Loki actually looked nervous, as though Sam might possibly reject him. 

 

“What do I do?” Sam asked, shifting the knife to his dominant hand. The resulting smile from Loki rivaled the sun itself. His callused hands overlapped Sam's and he guided the tip of the knife to the human’s palm.

 

“Repeat after me:

_ Jeg tar deg mitt hjerte. Ved månens oppgang. Og innstillingen av stjernene. Å elske og å ære. Gjennom alt som kan komme. Gjennom alle våre liv sammen _ _   
_ _ I alle våre liv, Kan vi bli gjenfødt At vi kanskje møtes og vet Og elsk igjen, Og husk” _

 

Loki spoke slowly, enunciating clearly so  Sam could follow the unfamiliar language. In a quiet part of his mind, the human could hear Gabriel’s similar-yet-different voice translating for him.

 

_ I take you my heart  _ _   
_ _ At the rising of the moon  _ _   
_ _ And the setting of the stars.  _ _   
_ _ To love and to honor  _ _   
_ _ Through all that may come.  _ _   
_ _ Through all our lives together  _ _   
_ _ In all our lives,  _ _   
_ _ May we be reborn  _ _   
_ _ That we may meet and know  _ _   
_ _ And love again,  _ _   
_ __ And remember

 

When they had finished the Norwegian vows, Loki pressed the tip of the dagger into Sam’s palm, slicing a thin line diagonally across it. Sam winced but didn't move. The godling repeated the cut on his own palm. As soon as the blood started flowing, he pressed the wound to the matching one on Sam's hand. Sam felt a sudden surge in the piece of the Trickster/Archangel’s power inside him, and heat lanced  through his palm. Loki gathered a bit of their mixed blood on his fingers and marked an ornate rune over Sam’s heart. 

 

“My name. My true name.” The Norseman murmured. He guided Sam's bloody fingers to his chest, just beside Hel’s tattoo. “Make your mark,  _ hjarta. _ ” Sam hesitated for a moment, just barely a heartbeat, before smiling. He carefully painted his initials just the way they were etched into the trunk of the Impala. Loki's smile was very pleased. 

 

“It's perfect, Samuel. Come, we must finish the ritual quickly.” Loki pulled his almost-mate to his chest and kissed him soundly before guiding Sam to lay on his front. Sam, quick to catch on, spread his thighs and arched his ass up enticingly. 

 

“Come here, mate.” Sam's voice was hushed and lustful. Loki groaned deep in his chest and reached out with two fingers to check how tight the other man was. Loose and slick from coupling with Gabriel the night before, Sam's channel offered no resistance to Loki’s probing fingers. Satisfied, the Norseman moved into position and sank into his mate, bottoming out in one powerful thrust. Sam gave a suckerpunched moan.

 

“I love you, Loki.” 

 

“And I love you, Samuel. My mate.” His voice was broken and low enough to be an animalistic growl. Loki tucked his hands under Sam's chest and tangled his fingers with the other man's. His hips snapped forward again and again with a desperate tinge to them. 

 

Sam didn't even bother trying to meet Loki’s thrusts, he simply relaxed and let the godling take him. Harsh pants and the wet slap of skin on skin filled the room. The hunter hung on for the ride as the heat in his gut built at an impossibly fast rate.

 

“Samuel...my Sam… My love…” Loki panted a stream of praise against Sam's neck. 

 

“Yes, I'm yours. Always, Loki!  _ FUCK!” _ Sam howled in surprise and overwhelming pleasure as his bond with Gabriel suddenly surged to the front, the intensity redoubling as Loki’s power seamlessly braided into it. Sam screamed loud and long when the his orgasm hit him like a freight train. Loki snarled in his own language and followed him over the edge, adding his seed to the remains of Gabriel’s. There was a searing pain in his chest where Loki had painted his name, then Sam's world went white.

 

The Winchester came to slowly, as though his mind was crawling through molasses. He could feel deft fingers toying with his hair and a noise akin to a purr bubbled up in his chest.

 

“Hmmm… feels good…” the human slurred. Above him, Loki chuckled. 

 

“It should.” The gentle strokes and tugging continued and Sam drifted between consciousness and sleep.

 

Some time later, Sam awoke fully. Loki was now cuddled up to his chest, toying with the end of a lock of Sam's hair. Sam yawned and sat up, noting that his hair felt funny. He reached up to touch it. Braids. Loki had out his hair in braids.

 

“Loki, wha’?” Sam peered at himself in the mirror. He had to admit- The effect was stunning. The godling had tied his hair back in a series of thick braids, knotting the ends to keep them in place. Sam ran his fingers over them.

 

“In my time, these would have signified that you were a married man, sworn to someone of very high power. People would have fallen at your feet, treated you as a god in your own right.” Loki’s voice was nostalgic, even a little sad. Sam hugged him close.

 

“I love them, but they can't stay all the time. Men in this time don't really wear their hair like this.”

 

Loki tried to stamp down on the swell of hurt that threatened to choke him. “I understand. I'll remove them.” He started to unknot one of them.

 

“Wait!” Sam cried. “How about I keep this one?” He indicated the braid that pulled a strip of hair on his left temple tight. Loki immediately brightened.

 

“That's perfect, my love.” Loki undid the rest of them and toyed with the one Sam kept, clearly lost in thought.

 

“Ah!” The godling snapped his fingers and a golden feather appeared in his hand. Sam instantly knew it to be one of the Archangel’s. Loki unknotted the bottom of the braid and wove the feather into it, then reset the knot.

 

“There, perfect.” Loki declared. Sam had to agree, it looked pretty badass. He kissed his mate gratefully.

 

“Shall we announce it to the other half of the flock?” Loki was already getting dressed. Sam laughed.

 

“Let them figure it out on their own. I want to see Dean's reaction.” Loki chuckled diabolically.

 

******

At first, Dean didn't seem to notice Sam's new hairdo. When he spotted it, he stared.

 

“Hey Samantha, nice hair!” The elder Winchester goaded. Sam flipped him off without looking up from the game of chess he was playing with Cas. Castiel waved Dean over and whispered something in his ear, causing Dean's eyes to blow comically wide. 

 

“What the fuck?! You're married to  _ Loki?”  _ Dean gaped like a landed fish. Sam nodded, still contemplating his next move.

 

Dea finally seemed to regain his voice. “Sammy, I knew you were kinky, but  _ both _ of them?” Gabriel strode into the room, chewing on a Snickers bar. He eyed the braid and smiled affectionately.

 

“Well, not at the same time. Yet.” Sam deadpanned just to watch Dean's head explode. The older brother sputtered, at a loss for words, and Gabriel's smile turned lewd.

 

“Oh Samshine, you come up with the best ideas!” He purred. Dean's expression morphed into something akin to horror.

 

“Oh gross! Stop talking!” 


	25. Nothing Else Matters

“So, can I….?” Sam’s voice was soft and unsure, nearly lost beneath the patter of rain outside. Sam and Gabriel were relaxing at one of the Archangel’s many hideaways. This one was a gorgeously built log cabin stashed away in a remote corner of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The pouring rain obscured the view of the valley through the massive floor-to-second-floor windows, though neither man really seemed to care. 

 

Gabriel set aside the knife handle he was carving and looked up at his mate. Sam was sprawled out on the leather couch, yet another book in hand. The angel hopped up and approached the hunter who had a charming blush staining his cheeks.

 

“Can you what, Samshine?” Slim fingers tangled into Sam’s hair and toyed with his braid. Sam’s face flushed even deeper.

 

“When we were teasing Dean… we joked about, well…” Gabriel smiled. He had a good idea of what his husband was angling for, but he wanted the hunter to spit it out. Hello, still the Trickster!

 

“What do you want, Sam? I can’t give you what you want if you don’t ask for it.” Gabriel purred. Sam shivered violently when the blond’s breath ghosted along the shell of his ear.

 

“Both of you?” Sam’s voice was barely more than a whisper. He seemed almost ashamed of himself. Gabriel joined Sam on the couch, bringing them to eye level, and caressed his mate’s cheek. He bumped their foreheads together.

 

“Of course, sweetling. Anything in particular you were wanting to try?” Sam blinked rapidly, startled by his mate’s easy acceptance of something that Sam had agonized over for days.

 

“You can really do that?” 

 

Gabriel chuckled. “All-powerful Archangel, remember? You’ve seen me duplicate myself. It wouldn’t be hard to tweak the clone so that Loki could inhabit it. I wouldn’t be able to hold it for days on end, it would take too much energy, but for this? No problem.” Sam leaned in for a chaste kiss.

 

“And the idea doesn’t bug you?” Sam still had that disbelieving tone. Gabriel gently tugged the end of Sam’s mating braid again. 

 

“Do you have  _ any _ idea how many orgies I’ve been a part of? Not to mention the kink we get up to on a routine basis. So no, the concept of sharing you with my alter ego, whom you are already  _ mated to _ , doesn’t ‘bug’ me.” Sam could almost see the air quotes and flashed very strongly on Castiel.

 

“Ok, so can we not think about our brothers while we’re planning exactly how you intend to take two cocks at once?” Gabriel cringed and Sam burst out laughing.

 

“You should stop listening in on my thoughts, then.”

 

Gabriel kissed his nose. “You know I can’t now that we’re mated. Unless you deliberately block it, everything carries across.” The pair traded soft kisses and even softer touches for long moments. Slowly, the languid kisses took on a more passionate tone. Gabriel pulled Sam into his lap and the younger man straddled him. The angel’s nimble fingers teased their way under Sam’s waistband and kneaded the flesh of his sculpted ass. Sam moaned into his mouth.

 

“So, we’re really gonna do this?” Gabriel said between kisses. He dipped his tongue into Sam’s mouth, bent on mapping out the contours of his palate. Sam dug his nails into Gabriel’s shoulders and rolled his hips, his rapidly chubbing cock announcing his interest in the idea. The human made a muffled noise of approval. Gabriel chuckled and raised his hand to snap. 

 

For a moment Sam thought it hadn’t worked, but then a second set of hands closed over his hips. Sam smiled brilliantly and broke away from Gabriel’s lips. He craned his neck until he could kiss Loki instead, their tongues tangling. A low groan from the Archangel on the couch had Sam grinding his hips down again.

 

“Hello,  _ hjarta.” _ Loki pressed himself tight up against Sam’s back and Sam could clearly feel the godling’s arousal. Under him, Gabriel nibbled the column of Sam’s throat. 

 

“So…  _ ah! _ So how do we make this work?” Sam hissed, rolling his hips down onto Gabriel and then back into Loki. Both versions of his mate chuckled.

 

“However you want, Samshine. We could take turns… we could make a lovely Moose spitroast…. Hell, we could even fill that gorgeous, tight hole of yours full with both of us at the same time.” Sam moaned loudly.

 

“Fuck! Yes, everything! All of it! I want it all!” Sam whined against Gabriel’s lips, his hips churning between his mates. Loki gave a dark, sinful chuckle and nuzzled Sam’s throat. The Norseman’s beard tickled Sam’s neck and Sam hissed in pleasure. 

 

“Our Samshine is so  _ greedy. _ ” Gabriel laughed, worming his fingers under the human’s shirt and drawing it up over his head.

 

Loki nodded. “He is, indeed. So hungry for it. Do you think that between the two of us, we can satisfy him?” The godling smirked against Sam’s skin. 

 

“He certainly is a cockhungry creature. Lucky for him, there’s a clear foot and a half of dick for him to stuff himself with right now.” Sam’s answering moan verged on animalistic.

 

“Yes, fuck! If  _ someone’s _ cock isn’t in me in the next three minutes, I won’t be held responsible for my actions!” Twin laughs followed by twin snaps, and the three of them were piled into the massive master bed. Sam immediately began tearing at Loki’s clothes. The human gave a frustrated snarl and clicked his fingers, vanishing all of their clothes at once. Both of his mates were on him in an instant. Gabriel pulled Sam’s hair, guiding the man into a bruising kiss, while Loki sucked a hickey into Sam’s collarbone. 

 

“Two minutes left.” Sam ground out as Loki moved down to his right nipple. Gabriel chuckled. He shifted up the bed until his hips were level with Sam’s chin. He guided the fox-eyed man to lay on his side, sharing a glance with Loki over their mate. The godling winked and nodded, easing his way down Sam’s back with slow, tender kisses. In a moment of perfect synchronization, Gabriel pressed his cockhead against Sam’s lips and at the same time Loki flicked the tip of his tongue over their mate’s hole. Sam groaned and tried to simultaneously swallow Gabe’s dick and force Loki’s tongue deeper. 

 

Sam bobbed his head and ran his tongue under Gabriel’s foreskin, reveling in the gutpunched groan he got in response. The Archangel tangled his fingers into Sam’s long hair and tugged gently, guiding Sam into deepthroating him. Behind him, Loki spread Sam’s cheeks and speared his tongue as deep as he could. Sam's garbled moan made his throat tighten around Gabriel’s length and the Archangel pitched forward, bracing himself on the headboard to keep from squashing his lovers. 

 

Loki hummed in approval and worked his tongue deeper into his mate. Two fingers snuck up to worm their way into the human's tight channel, stretching him further. He crooked them into Sam's prostate and Sam cried out, squirming desperately.

 

“I say get him off before we try stuffing him. He’ll be more relaxed that way.” Gabriel's voice was a bit shaky. Loki nodded enthusiastically and redoubled his efforts. He lapped all around Sam’s hole and drove his fingers directly into the man's sweet spot. A second later, Gabriel withdrew and moved down Sam’s body to attack his nipples. He tongued the left piercing, rolling it with the flat of his tongue, while he pinched and tweaked the right.

 

“Oh fuck! Oh, fuckfuckfuck….!” Sam arched hard and erupted all over himself, nearly screaming with the force of his climax. Both mates grinned and moved to lick his release off his abs.

 

“Jesus… you're gonna be the death of me.” The hunter’s whole body was shaking as he buried a hand in Gabriel's mop and tugged Loki’s braids. Both beings chuckled and moved up to sandwich him between them. Sam drew first one, then the other in for a slow, brain-melting kiss.

 

Out of Sam's line of sight, Gabriel nudged Loki to get his attention. The two men shared a moment of telepathic communication, laughing darkly at their plan. The Archangel pulled away from Sam, who tried to follow his lips with a disappointed whine, and caught the Pagan by his braid. Sam made a noise that probably meant his brain had completely short circuited when the pair's lips crashed together over him. Two halves of the same being warred for dominance before Loki submitted with a low growl and let Gabriel take control of the kiss.

 

Under them, Sam was transfixed. As he watched his mates make out, his cock gave a hard twitch and started filling again. The human groaned and dug the heel of his palm into his shaft.

 

“Fuck, you two are so damned hot…” He murmured as he lazily stroked his thickening cock. Both beings huffed an identical amused chuckle. Gabriel danced his fingers up Sam's thigh and dipped under to find his hole. Two fingers, then three eased their way in and began slowly pumping in and out of him. Sam moaned softly.

 

“That's it,  _ hjarta. _ Relax. Let us open you up

” Loki’s hand joined Gabriel’s and an extra finger teased it's way in. 

 

Sam was already cum-drunk. He had to be. That was the only explanation for the silly giggle that escaped his throat as his lovers worked. Two eyebrows arched up at him. 

 

“What's so funny, Samshine?”

 

Another giggle. “Angel lube!” Loki barked a laugh and worked another finger in. Together, both immortals stretched and worked Sam's passage while the younger man stroked his cock. Finally, Gabriel sat back on his heels.

 

“I think he's ready.” Loki nodded in agreement. Both of them started to move up Sam's body at the same time, only to stop and stare at each other in annoyance.

 

“I call dibs.” Gabriel scowled at his counterpart.

 

“I'm the one with more experience with orgies.” Loki snarked back. 

 

Sam glared at both of them. “Stop fighting, both of you! Play nice or  _ neither  _ of you gets to fuck me.” Sam projected a mental image at both of them- the human sprawled out on his back, fucking himself with his favorite vibrating dildo. Both of his mates groaned.

 

“We’re sorry, Samshine.” Gabriel kissed Sam's thigh. Loki was quick to agree.

 

“Yes,  _ hjarta. _ ” The pair turned each other and Loki put one fist in the cup of the other palm. Gabriel laughed and mirrored him. 

 

One...two...three...Ha!” Loki threw scissors to Gabriel's paper. Sam buried his face in his hands and groaned.

 

“You did  _ not  _ just play rock-paper-scissors over who gets to fuck me first. I think I hate you both.” Loki smirked triumphantly and kissed his mate soundly. He wrapped Sam in his arms and rolled the taller man so that Sam was straddling him. The hunter grinned and rocked against him, sliding their cocks together, before helping Loki slide home in one smooth thrust. 

 

Sam groaned softly and rolled his hips in a circle. He rocked back and forth, taking full advantage of his ability to grind Loki’s cockhead against his prostate. Loki gave an answering cry and bucked up. 

 

Off to the side, Gabriel echoed his counterpart’s gasp. He cupped himself and rubbed gently. 

 

“Fuck, you're so beautiful together…” The Archangel whispered. Sam gave a breathless chuckle.

 

“Isn't that a little narcissistic?” Sam rolled his hips again before leaning down to kiss Loki. Their tongues tangled as they rocked together. Gently, Loki pulled Sam to his chest. 

 

“Ready?” The Norseman whispered. Sam smiled and nodded, burying his nose in Loki's braids and letting himself go completely lax. Gabriel moved to kneel between both men's legs. He kissed up and down Sam’s spine.

 

“We love you, Sam.” Their voices were in perfect unison as Gabriel teased the head of his cock against Sam’s hole. 

 

“Breathe.” Loki whispered in his ear. Sam nodded, and Gabriel carefully pushed in. The human hissed and winced. The Pagan’s lips found his temple, and a wave of pleasure and relaxation surged through Sam, numbing the temporary pain. Gabriel pressed forward at a glacial pace. It felt like forever before he was completely buried to the hilt. Three men drew in a collective shaky breath.

 

“If you don't move, I might smite you both.” Sam snarled. Gabriel chuckled and pressed a kiss between Sam's shoulder blades. Slowly, he withdrew until only the head of his dick remained inside, then snapped his hips forward again. 

 

“Fuck!” Sam gritted his teeth against the sensation of being split so far open. Loki tangled his fingers into Sam's hair and hissed in response. The godling didn't so much thrust as grind up. He gave an inhuman snarl as his and Gabriel's cocks rubbed together in the impossibly hot clench of Sam's body. 

 

“So tight… oh, Father…fucking Christ!” Sam barked a shaky laugh- they had managed to drive an Archangel to blasphemy! Gabriel spiraled into a long string of Enochian swears as he rolled his hips into Sam's over and over. 

 

Loki stroked and kissed as much of Sam as he could reach while pinned beneath the other two. He continuously ground his length into Sam, providing some truly delicious friction against both Sam's sweet spot and Gabriel's shaft. All three were gasping for breath and soaked in sweat as they moved together.

 

“I...I don't think I'm gonna set any endurance records today.” Sam choked out. The insane fullness and almost-too-much pressure on his prostate was driving him into a rapid spiral towards completion and the heat building in his gut promised a blinding  orgasm. Gabriel grunted in agreement, now far beyond the capability of speech.

 

“We’re right there with you, beloved.” Loki whispered hoarsely. Sam kissed him then, his whole body trembling. Tears pricked at the overwhelmed human's eyes. A handful of thrusts later, Sam gave in and surrendered to the firestorm of pleasure in his gut. He came with a desperate cry, and the shockwaves of pleasure blazing through his body echoed across to his mates. Archangel and godling alike were overwhelmed. Through the aftershocks, Sam could feel them both spurting inside him and it set off another wave of pleasure for the human. 

 

Gabriel collapsed across Sam's back, still buried with Loki inside his mate. All three were shaking with exhaustion as Sam carefully rolled them to the side. 

 

“So… does this make you a literal Sammich?” Gabriel panted. 

 

“I'd slap you if I had the energy.” Sam grumbled against Loki's chest. The Archangel huffed a chuckle that tickled the back of Sam's neck. Both blonds reluctantly disengaged from Sam's body, accompanied by a rush of their combined releases.Gabriel started to snap his fingers but the human quickly stopped him.

 

“No. Leave it.” Twin smiles curved up at him.

 

“Can I at least get rid of the sweat?” Sam hummed an approval and all three were dry. Loki produced a black silicone plug from nowhere and held up it for Sam's approval. 

 

“Fuck, yes…” Sam gasped. Gabriel smirked and gathered the spunk that had leaked from the hunter's body, pressing it back in. Loki eased the plug into Sam's channel. 

 

“So good for us… we love you, Sam…” Eyes closed, Sam couldn't tell which mate said it. He didn't care. He worshiped them both. The hunter was already drifting between waking and sleeping. He was warm and safe, well fucked and being cradled by two of the most powerful beings in creation. In that moment, Sam knew he had nothing to fear. His brother was protected by his own personal guardian angel, and Sam had Gabriel and Loki to light his soul. Whatever the future held he would face it with a smile, backed by the love of his mates. And nothing else mattered.

  
**Fin** .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. I can't believe it, but this is where I'm wrapping it up. Twenty five chapters.... a full length novel... from one random idea I had nearly a year ago. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for coming along on this ride with me. Twenty five is a nice number to stop on, I think. We've had some amazing adventures (and plenty of smut!) But I've realized it's time to say goodbye to this particular story. I'm sure I'll write more Sabriel in the future. They're my OTP, after all! But this arc is complete, I believe. Thank you for all the encouragement and amazing comments that fueled this adventure!


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